TEXT: AN ADVENTURE SOURCEBOOK FOR
  AN ADVENTURE SOURCEBOOK FOR
  Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player s
  Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This
  product utilizes updated material from the v3.5 revision.
  TM
  
  Development and editing by Michael Hammes
  Playtesting and proofreading by Mark Gedak
  Continuity suggestions and feedback by Joseph Goodman
  Graphic and cover art elements by Rick Achberger and Niklas Janssen
  Interior artwork by Brad McDevitt
  Layout and cover artistic re-imagining by Philip Reed
  Special thanks to Joseph Goodman for the opportunity to play in his world.
  To learn more about Ronin Arts please visit
  www.roninarts.com
  Look for more information on DragonMech, including freebies, news, and web enhancements, at:
  http://www.goodmangames.com
  © 2005 Ronin Arts, All Rights Reserved. DragonMech is a trademark of Goodman Games, used with permission.
  Dungeons & Dragons and D&D are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and are used with 
  permission. “d20 System” and the “d20 System” logo are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast 
  and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 5.0. A copy of this license can be found 
  at www.wizards.com/d20.
  
  Introduction................................4
  Using the Rumors..................................4
  The Lunar Rains are Changing
  Creatures .................................5
  Lunar-Cursed..........................................5
  Creating a Lunar-Cursed Creature ........6
  An Ancient Dungeon Has Been
  Discovered..............................7
  Uskckarothmosi (Lunar Spider)............8
  Uskckarothmosi Silk..............................9
  Dungeon Map......................................10
  That Lunite is Some Valuable
  Stuff .......................................11
  Lunite Qualities....................................11
  Damage Reduction ..............................12
  Common Lunite Items.........................12
  A Lost City Has Been
  Rediscovered.........................13
  History of Platia...................................13
  Platia in the Present ............................14
  Treasures of Platia ...............................14
  Sample Platian Treasure......................16
  A City-Mech Was Destroyed....17
  Lunar Drake .........................................18
  A Corpse, A Corpse, My Kingdom for a
  Corpse . . ..........................................19
  Lunar Energy........................................20
  Lunar Energy vs. Other Types of
  Energy................................................20
  Reward Offered for Recovery of
  Book......................................22
  Armored Saint......................................23
  Steel Tyrant..........................................26
  That Mech is Killing Us All .....28
  What’s Going On.................................29
  The Soul Engine ..................................29
  Legal Information and Open
  Game License .......................31
  3
  Table of Contents
  About the Authors
  Michael Hammes has been freelancing in the role-playing industry since 2001.  Starting small,
  he has steadily built his repertoire, and reputation, by working for such companies as Ronin Arts,
  Alderac Entertainment Group, Dark Quest Games, and E.N. Publishing.  He is currently trying
  to balance his writing schedule with his role as stay-at-home father.  To catch the latest from
  Michael's Imagination, please visit www.michaelhammes.com.
  Philip Reed has been working professionally in the roleplaying game industry since 1995. In
  that time he has worked for such companies as West End Games, Privateer Press, and Steve
  Jackson Games. Today Philip spends his days at home running Ronin Arts, writing and design-
  ing new games, and reading whatever books interest him at the time. To learn more about Philip
  Reed – and Ronin Arts – please visit www.philipjreed.com and www.roninarts.com.
  
  Rumors & Lies is Ronin Arts’ first official
  PDF 
  supplement 
  for 
  Goodman 
  Games’
  DragonMech setting. Within the pages of this
  PDF, written for the use of DMs, are an assortment
  of rumors that can be used as springboards to
  adventure. Additionally, each rumor includes
  information that a DM can use either in adven-
  tures related to the rumor or in adventures of his
  own design. New monsters, items, and rules are
  scattered throughout the pages of this PDF. See
  the table of contents on p. 3 for a thorough listing.
  � 
  USING THE RUMORS
  This PDF is intended solely for the DM.
  Players who suspect that their DM may have a
  copy of this PDF would do best to close this file
  now and find something else to peruse. 
  The rumors in this PDF may be sprinkled lib-
  erally in a campaign either as written or modified
  by the DM. DMs should always be prepared for
  the situations, characters, and locations discussed
  in any rumor to leap to the forefront of the game
  session; you never know what bit of information
  the players will grab and run with.
  When in any tavern, inn, coffeehouse, or
  similar establishment where men and women
  gather, select a rumor (or two or three) from this
  PDF and have each player make a Gather
  Information check and then check the roll
  against the chosen rumor(s).
  I’ve discovered that these rumors work espe-
  cially well if, after the Gather Information check
  is rolled, you give the PCs first the failed result
  (even if they made their roll) and then, shortly
  after, give them the successful result. This adds
  some roleplaying opportunities and, I’ve found,
  encourages the PCs to talk over the false rumor
  before discovering the truth.
  Each rumor follows the format:
  Rumor Heading 
  (Gather Information DC in Gear)
  Setup: Suggested setup information.
  Failed Gather Information Check: If the
  check is failed this is what the PCs hear. A sec-
  tion of this entry is to be read aloud to the play-
  ers though many DMs will choose to paraphrase
  the information (especially if any of it needs to
  be tweaked to better fit the campaign). This entry
  also discloses the source of the rumor.
  Successful Gather Information Check: If
  the check succeeds this is what the PCs hear.
  Again, this entry is intended to be read aloud and
  gives the source of the rumor.
  Follow Up: If the PCs choose to investigate
  the rumor this information will help the DM to
  prepare for what could happen.
  4
  Introduction
  I
  N THE DEEPEST LEVELS OF THE LARGEST CITY-MECHS, IN THE DARKEST TAVERNS IN
  THE CITIES OF HIGHPOINT, AND IN THE BLACKEST ALLEYS OF THE MOST DAN-
  GEROUS
  PLACES, RUMORS
  ARE
  WHISPERED. ADVENTURERS, THIEVES, GUARDS,
  NOBLES, BEGGARS, AND MERCHANTS ALL RELY ON INFORMATION AND SPREAD WHAT
  THEY HEAR – TRUE OR FALSE. IT IS ONLY THE UNWISE – OR UNLUCKY – THAT DO
  NOT SEEK OUT INFORMATION AND USE IT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. IN THE RAVAGED
  WORLD OF DRAGONMECH, RUMORS AND LIES ABOUND.
  
  Setup: The adventurers hear whis-
  pered tales that the lunar rains are
  altering the native creatures of
  Highpoint. If they choose to pursue
  the rumors and go in search of the
  truth, they may very well learn the fol-
  lowing.
  Failed 
  Gather 
  Information
  Check:
  “Converted, you say? My dear sir, the notion is
  preposterous! I have heard from many a man
  such as yourself, an ‘adventurer’ if you will, that
  the rumors of creatures from our own world
  being transformed by the rains is mere rumor and
  gossip amongst the lower classes and the stupid.
  I assure you that there is no more truth to these
  tales than there is weight to the stories that Parilus
  shall return.”
  Source: Spider Bryce [male human, Exp 4,
  hp 8], a merchant from Edge. Spider is a tall man,
  balding, and some forty floodings of age. He
  dresses in fine clothing, often Phyrgian cap and
  black tunic. Spider travels from city to city (and
  city-mech to city-mech) to trade his candles and
  soaps for any coin or items of value that he can
  sell in Edge.
  Successful Gather Information Check: “I
  ‘eard what that bald fool told you boys and I can
  guarantee that he knows not of which he speaks.
  I’ve watched those damned rains transform beasts
  right before my eyes, taking my own horse and
  creating some foul, monstrous abomination in
  mere moments. Poor Swift. I had to kill him
  myself afore he had the chance to eat me and my
  clients.”
  Source:
  Kate Lehmann-Haupt [female
  human, Stalker 5, hp 24], a good-looking stalk-
  er that offers her services to any that can afford
  her. Kate’s dark, black hair and deep, tan com-
  plexion are a direct contrast to the
  bright white and yellow cloak, tunic,
  and breeches she chooses to wear.
  Kate spends most of her time in the
  Endless Plains and has also spent many
  months in the Roughlands, so she does
  have a significant degree of knowledge when
  it comes to the wild areas of Highpoint.
  Follow Up: While there isn’t much to follow
  up with the player characters, if they’ve succeed-
  ed their Gather Information check they will know
  of the existence of these beasts and have an idea
  of what to watch for. Any player character that
  learns of the existence of creatures converted by
  lunar rains gains a +2 circumstance bonus to all
  Knowledge (nature) checks when dealing with
  lunar-cursed creatures (including identifying them
  in the field).�
  LUNAR-CURSED
  Introduction
  As the lunar gods continue to battle the ter-
  restrial gods and increase their influence over
  Highpoint, their predations occasionally spill
  from the realm of the divine into that of the mor-
  tal and mundane. The first sign of this growing
  influence of the lunar gods on the terrestrial
  world is the sporadic appearance of lunar-cursed
  creatures upon Highpoint. 
  The Lunar-Cursed
  A lunar-cursed creature is a terrestrial creature
  that has gotten caught in a wash of divine lunar
  energy escaping from the realms beyond. These
  washes currently occur only during the lunar
  5
  The Lunar Rains are Changing Creatures
  16
  
  rains, when the power of the lunar gods to influ-
  ence Highpoint is strongest, and only appear to
  affect simple-minded creatures (i.e. animals with
  an Intelligence score of 1 or 2). 
  Mercifully these washes are brief, being effec-
  tively instantaneous, and affect only a limited area
  (usually no more than a hundred foot radius);
  however, as the power of the lunar gods grows,
  it is very likely that these washes will begin to
  grow more powerful and remain for longer, slow-
  ly changing the very essence of Highpoint to that
  desired by its lunar invaders.
  Creatures caught in such a lunar wash
  acquire the lunar-cursed template (see below),
  becoming lunar creatures in both physiology and
  psychology. The DM should assume that such
  lunar-cursed creatures act much like lunar drag-
  ons, wandering aimlessly and destroying whatev-
  er they encounter (for more information on lunar
  creatures see Goodman Games’ DragonMech
  rulebook p. 181). 
  Whether this effect is reversible (something
  likely only if the terrestrial gods manage to defeat
  the lunar gods or at least manage to reduce their
  influence from current levels) is unknown at this
  time. 
  Appearance Changes
  A lunar-cursed creature’s blood vessels grow
  abnormally large, becoming ribbed or corrugated
  and undulating disturbingly beneath its skin. The
  blood of a lunar-cursed creature turns a creamy,
  semitranslucent white in color and takes on an
  oily consistency; when cut, the blood of a lunar-
  cursed creature never sprays but oozes.
  � 
  CREATING A 
  LUNAR-CURSED CREATURE
  “Lunar-cursed” is an acquired template that
  can be added to any terrestrial animal with an
  Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (referred to hereafter
  as the “base creature”). 
  A lunar-cursed uses all the base creature’s sta-
  tistics and special abilities except as noted here.
  Special Qualities: A lunar creature retains
  all the special qualities of the base creature and
  also gains the following qualities.
  Lunar (Ex): A lunar creatures take only half
  damage from most elemental attacks (air, fire,
  and water) and takes no damage against such
  elemental attacks on a successful save. A lunar
  creature takes double damage from all earth-
  based attacks and magic (such as spells with the
  Earth descriptor). A lunar creature receives a +10
  bonus to saves against mind-influencing effects
  (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and
  morale effects), mind blasts and psionic attacks,
  and detect thoughts due to its alien psychology.
  Challenge Rating: Same as the base crea-
  ture +1.
  Sample Lunar-cursed
  This example uses a mountain lion as the
  base creature.
  There is something odd about this mountain
  lion. Not only is it approaching you without any
  sort of fear or reluctance, you also notice that its
  skin appears to bulge and pulse in several places.
  Lunar-cursed mountain lion: CR 3;
  Medium animal (lunar); HD 3d8+6; hp 19; Init
  +4; Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 15, touch 14, flat-
  footed 11; Base Atk +2, Grp +5; Atk +6 melee
  (1d6+3, bite); Full Atk +6 melee (1d6+3, bite)
  and 2 claws +1 melee (1d3+1); Space/Reach
  5ft./5ft.; SA Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d3+1;
  SQ Low-light vision, lunar, scent; AL N; SV Fort
  +5, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15, Int
  2, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills and Feats: Balance +12, Climb +11,
  Hide +8*, Jump +11, Listen +6, Move Silently +8,
  Spot +6; Alertness, Weapon Finesse.
  6
  
  Setup: Shortly after entering a city-
  mech the player characters are
  approached by a man offering to sell
  them information about a “lost” dun-
  geon. If they pay the man the 20 gold
  he requests, he gives them a map and
  tells them that the dungeon was recently
  revealed when a meteor strike sheared the side
  off of a large mountain in the Boundary Peaks. If
  they decide to spend some time investigating the
  map – and rumored dungeon – before setting off
  on an expedition, they may learn the following.
  Failed Gather Information Check: “You’re
  talking about the Dungeon of Chalvor, I assume.
  My pap used to spend nights at the tavern telling
  us about his escape from that dungeon. He said
  that was back before the lunar rains, but he
  weren’t that old. A group set off in search of the
  dungeon from here several years ago, but I don’t
  know what became of them. The dungeon
  exists, that’s for sure. I heard someone on the
  upper levels has a map to the dungeon. Have
  you tried checking with him for information?”
  Source: Jacob [male human, Commoner
  1, hp 2], a young man of 17 with short, brown
  hair and a constant grin. Jacob is quite smart but
  poor and gets by working odd jobs aboard the
  city-mech for anyone that will have him. He can
  frequently be found in the marketplace working
  for any number of different merchants – it’s
  almost as if he knows them all.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “You bought that scrap of trash? Yes, there’s a
  dungeon somewhere out there in the Boundary
  Peaks but I can promise you that Collector – he’s
  the one that stole your gold and gave you that
  garbage – has no idea where it is.” The man’s
  voice becomes subdued, conspiratorial. “But,
  there’s a wizard hiding beneath the
  docking bay that knows the truth
  about the Dungeon of Chalvor. I’ll
  guide you to him . . . for a small fee,
  of course.”
  If the player character’s pay the man
  10 or more gold he leads them to the dirtiest
  levels of the city-mech and directs them to a
  small, hidden room in which the wizard is said
  to live. He then thanks them for the pay and sets
  off to return to the upper levels.
  The wizard, calling himself Grease [male
  human, wizard 15, hp 39], gives the player
  characters a map that is almost identical to the
  one they already possess. This map, the wizard
  claims, is accurate.
  Source: Josef Gaarti [male human, Expert
  3, hp 7], a man in his 30s who works as a mes-
  senger and skilled laborer. The man thinks rather
  highly of himself and constantly puts down and
  threatens those around him, but if confronted he
  reveals himself to be a coward; Josef will prom-
  ise anything to avoid injury.
  Follow Up: If the player characters choose
  to journey to the site of the dungeon the DM will
  need a dungeon complex. We’ve included a map
  (see p. 10) for a possible dungeon complex but
  it will be the DM’s job to stock the map to suit
  his players and campaign. If you need a dun-
  geon that’s completely ready for use you may
  want to give Goodman Games’ Dungeon Crawl
  Classics line a try. Check the Goodman Games
  website – www.goodmangames.com – for
  information on the series.
  For those that wish to create their own dun-
  geon, we’ve included a new monster to populate
  the dungeon with. See the next page.
  7
  An Ancient Dungeon Has Been Discovered
  18
  
  Uskcharothmosi appear as thickset spider-
  like creatures (hence the name lunar spider). 
  Their bodies and heads are massive blobs of
  corrugated and rubbery sickly-gray flesh, which
  sit on three pairs of spindly legs that are coved
  with thousands of bristly hairs and look like they
  could never support the creatures’ weight.
  Despite their awkward appearance, uskcharoth-
  mosi are surprisingly swift and nimble.
  An uskcharothmosi’s front pair of legs is
  noticeably shorter than the hind two pairs and
  each leg ends in a pair of clawed ‘fingers’. These
  fingers are used in combat, to manipulate
  objects (clumsy manipulation at best), and to
  throw their webs. The other two pairs of legs
  end in spider-like feet and it is these that the
  uskcharothmosi relies on for movement.
  Unlike 
  many 
  other 
  lunar 
  creatures,
  uskcharothmosi prefer to create communal lairs.
  These they surround with their webs for protec-
  tion and use as a base to sortie from when in
  search of food.
  A typical uskcharothmosi’s body is 6 feet
  long and the creature weighs about 400 pounds.
  COMBAT
  Uskcharothmosi prefer to lie in ambush for
  their prey, waiting for it to stumble into a net or
  8
  USKCHAROTHMOSI (LUNAR SPIDER)
  Medium Aberration (Lunar)
  Hit Dice:
  6d8+12 (39 hp)
  Initiative:
  +4
  Speed:
  40 ft. (8 squares), climb 40 ft.
  Armor Class:
  17 (+4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13
  Base Attack/Grapple:
  +4/+6
  Attack:
  Bite +8 melee (1d6+2 plus paralysis)
  Full Attack:
  Bite +8 melee (1d6+2 plus paralysis) and 2 claws 
  +3 melee (1d4+1)
  Space/Reach:
  5 ft./5 ft.
  Special Attacks:
  Paralysis, pounce, web
  Special Qualities:
  Damage reduction 5/piercing or slashing, darkvision 120 ft., 
  lunar, tremorsense
  Saves:
  Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +7
  Abilities:
  Str 14, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 8
  Skills:
  Climb +13, Craft (trapmaking) +4, Hide +10*, Move Silently +10*, 
  Spot +8
  Feats:
  Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (bite)
  Environment:
  Underground or lunar
  Organization:
  Solitary, colony (2-8), infestation (9-28)
  Challenge Rating:
  5
  Treasure:
  Standard
  Alignment:
  Usually lawful evil
  Advancement:
  7–9 HD (Medium); 10–15 HD (Large)
  Level Adjustment:
  -
  
  otherwise be distracted and then rush from their
  hiding place. Once in combat uskcharothmosi
  rely on their paralyzing bite to freeze as many
  opponents as possible. Only when all opponents
  are paralyzed or dead do uskcharothmosi carry
  off their prey.
  Lunar (Ex): An uskcharothmosi takes only
  half damage from most elemental attacks (air, fire,
  and water) and takes no damage against such
  elemental attacks on a successful save. An
  uskcharothmosi takes double damage from all
  earth-based attacks and magic (such as spells
  with the Earth descriptor). An uskcharothmosi
  receives a +10 bonus to saves against mind-influ-
  encing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms,
  patterns, and morale effects), mind blasts and
  psionic attacks, and detect thoughts due to its
  alien psychology.
  Paralysis (Ex): An uskcharothmosi secretes
  anesthetizing saliva. A target hit by the
  uskcharothmosi’s bite attack must succeed on a
  DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 2d4
  rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Pounce (Ex): If an uskcharothmosi charges a
  foe, it can make a full attack.
  Tremorsense (Ex): An uskcharothmosi can
  detect and pinpoint any creature or object within
  60 feet in contact with the ground, or within any
  range in contact with the uskcharothmosi’s webs.
  Web (Ex): An uskcharothmosi can throw a
  web six times per day. This is similar to an attack
  with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet,
  with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective
  against targets of up to Medium size. The web
  anchors the target in place, allowing no move-
  ment.
  An entangled creature can escape with a DC
  15 Escape Artist check or burst the web with a
  DC 23 Strength check. The check DCs are
  Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC
  includes a +8 racial bonus. The web has 12 hit
  points, hardness 0, and takes double damage
  from acid but only half damage from fire.
  Uskcharothmosi can also create sheets of
  sticky webbing from 5 to 60 feet square. They
  usually position these to snare flying creatures
  but can also try to trap prey on the ground.
  Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20
  Spot check to notice a web, or they stumble into
  it and become trapped as though by a successful
  web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the web-
  bing receive a +5 bonus if the trapped creature
  has something to walk on or grab while pulling
  free. Each 5-foot-square section has 12 hit points,
  hardness 0, and takes double damage from acid
  but only half damage from fire.
  An uskcharothmosi can move across its own
  sheet web at its climb speed and can determine
  the exact location of any creature touching the
  web.
  Skills: Uskcharothmosi have a +4 racial
  bonus on Craft (trapmaking), Hide, Move Silently,
  and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb
  checks. An uskcharothmosi can always choose to
  take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threat-
  ened. An uskcharothmosi uses its Dexterity mod-
  ifier for Climb checks.
  *Uskcharothmosi have a +8 racial bonus on
  Hide and Move Silently checks when using their
  webs. 
  Saves: In addition to an aberration’s good
  Will save, uskcharothmosi also have good Reflex
  saves.
  9
  USKCHAROTHMOSI SILK
  The silk that the uskcharothmosi use to
  weave their webs is quite sturdy and can be
  used to fashion superior rope. 
  A typical 50’ length of uskcharothmosi silk
  rope has 6 hit points and can be burst with a
  DC 26 Strength check. It is so supple that it
  provides a +2 circumstance bonus on Use
  Rope checks. It costs 25 gp and weighs 6 lbs.
  
  10
  This sample dungeon was created from
  SkeletonKey Games’ e-Adventure Tiles
  series. To create dungeons of your own
  design – at miniatures scale – visit
  SkeletonKey Games’ website at
  www.skeletonkeygames.com.
  Map artwork © Ed Bourelle, used with permission.
  
  Setup: The player characters are in
  a marketplace in search of new equip-
  ment when they overhear a merchant
  offering a large number of gold pieces
  for a special type of metal he calls lunite.
  Before they can get to the merchant to
  inquire about the metal he is lost in a crowd
  of people. Asking around about lunite, the player
  characters are likely to learn the following.
  Failed 
  Gather 
  Information
  Check:
  “Lunite? Someone’s been feedin’ you a line, boy.”
  Maniacal laughter. “Sounds like a good lie to get
  ya to buy some worthless scrap of iron. I would-
  na be takin’ any “lunite” if I was you, boy. The
  only ‘lunar metal’ that means a damn is mensite!”
  (See the DragonMech rulebook, p. 140.)
  Glances left, and then right. “You have a copper
  for a poor ole lady, boy?”
  If the player characters give the woman a
  copper, she’ll thank them and go back to her
  business (which appears to be begging).
  Source:
  Hattie
  [female 
  human,
  Commoner 1, hp 1], an old woman that spends
  her time begging. She’s a constant source of inac-
  curate information. Anyone that gives her a coin
  is an instant friend that she’ll seek out anytime
  she has “valuable” information.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Yes, there actually is lunite. It comes down dur-
  ing the lunar rains, hidden within the largest
  meteorites and fragments that pound the earth at
  night. Some say they’ve found the pure metal in
  small, fist-sized chunks, but those that say that
  are liars. I’ve heard many a craftsman say that
  he’ll pay a handsome sum for pure lunite.” 
  Source: Morgan Haimar [male elf, clock-
  work ranger 8, hp 48], a tall, fair-skinned elf
  wearing a dark gray cloak and mithral chainmail.
  Haimar works as an agent-for-hire, hiring himself
  out as a tracker, guide, or bodyguard.
  He’s currently between jobs and is
  concentrating more on spending the
  spoils of a recent expedition than he
  is searching for work. Haimar’s animal
  companion is a monstrous spider.
  Follow Up: If the player characters
  choose to set off on a mining expedition they’ll
  need to watch the skies for a large meteorite
  since – according to those who know – lunite is
  only found in the largest of meteorites that hit the
  earth. A successful DC 20 Gather Information
  check points them toward a large meteorite that
  recently crashed in Stenian Confederacy territory.
  Though the meteorite was destroyed by Stenian
  mechs, there is a chance that some sizable frag-
  ments containing lunite could be found in the
  area. (Note: If the player characters have played
  through 
  Shardsfall 
  Quest,
  the 
  first
  DragonMech adventure by Goodman Games,
  they’ll already know about this particular mete-
  orite.) It should take roughly 2d4+1 days after
  they begin their search before a suitable mete-
  orite strikes close to the player characters.
  If they prefer to leave metal prospecting and
  mining to the experts, the player characters could
  once again encounter lunite as either a treasure
  item or special piece of equipment that they may
  purchase. � 
  LUNITE QUALITIES
  Only after it has been extracted from its ore
  and properly forged (a process requiring cold
  forging much like cold iron) does lunite reveal
  its properties. 
  11
  That Lunite is Some Valuable Stuff
  21
  
  Forged lunite of at least one pound in mass
  (weight) always sheds light equivalent to a light
  spell (bright light in a 20-foot radius, shadowy
  light in a 40-foot radius); lunite items of less
  mass than one pound shed only as much light as
  a candle (no bright illumination and shadowy
  illumination in a 5-foot radius). The light cannot
  be shut off. A weapon, armor, or other item
  made from lunite cannot be concealed when
  uncovered or drawn.
  In addition to this light-generating quality,
  lunite has some form of bond with creatures of
  lunar origin and is capable of detecting the pres-
  ence of lunar creatures. Any time a creature of
  lunar origin comes within a 30-foot radius of
  forged lunite (this must be at least a one pound
  mass as anything less does not detect the pres-
  ence of lunar creatures), the metal glows even
  more brightly, shedding light equivalent to a
  daylight spell (bright light in a 60-foot radius,
  shadowy light in a 120-foot radius) until the
  creature is out of range once again. At the DM’s
  option, lunar creatures may be able to avoid
  detection by succeeding at a Will save (DC 15)
  with success indicating that the lunar creature is
  able to mask its origins from the lunite.
  Beyond these properties, forged lunite is
  exactly like steel in its ability to be used for
  weapons, armor, and other items; it confers no
  special advantages or imposes any special dis-
  advantages to such items.
  Due to scarcity, any item, weapon, or armor
  made from lunite costs ten times as much as its
  normal counterpart. This increase in cost is strict-
  ly due to supply and demand; masterwork and
  enchantment costs for items made from lunite
  are not affected. Items without metal parts can-
  not be made from lunite.� 
  DAMAGE REDUCTION
  In addition to the qualities already listed,
  at the DM’s discretion lunite can be a metal
  that bypasses the damage reduction of certain
  lunar powerful creatures much like other
  special materials, such as adamantine or cold
  iron, do. 
  For example, much like a devil may have
  damage reduction to every kind of weapon
  except one that is both good and silver, so a
  lunar dragon might have damage reduction to
  every sort of weapon except for one forged
  from lunite.
  Including this idea of damage reduction
  gives the DM a way to make lunar creatures
  more powerful without having to alter their
  basic statistics. For example, a particularly
  powerful lunar dragon might have damage
  reduction 20/lunite, making it virtually imper-
  vious to any weapons individuals on
  Highpoint possess and even rendering mech
  weapons relatively ineffective unless they are
  made of lunite.� 
  COMMON LUNITE ITEMS
  The most common lunite items by far are
  lunite lanterns. These items are usually craft-
  ed to appear exactly like normal lanterns
  except that they generate their own light at
  all times and thus never burn out or require
  refueling. Lunite lanterns are especially
  prized on city-mechs as they not only provide
  unending and pollution-free light, but can
  also be used to warn of the presence of lunar
  creatures.
  Those that battle lunar creatures also
  value lunite weapons and armor. Such arms
  and armor are especially prized by the clerics
  and paladins of the terrestrial gods who not
  only value the metal’s detection qualities but
  also see the constant light as a fitting symbol
  for their on-going struggle against the lunar
  gods and their servants.
  12
  
  Setup: Sitting in a crowded pub or
  tavern one night the adventurers hear
  tales of a lost city that has been recent-
  ly rediscovered near the Boundary
  peaks. Amazingly, the stories tell of a
  surface city that has survived the lunar
  rains unscathed. If they look deeper into the
  matter, the player characters are likely to learn the
  following.
  Failed Gather Information Check: “I’ve
  heard of the city – Platia is the name of it. It’s
  somewhere in the northern area of the Boundary
  peaks and, I hear, there’s an old trail that leads
  through the rocky terrain that was recently
  widened and cleared so that mechs could use it.
  I don’t know how the city survived but it did.
  They say the streets are made of gold and all of
  the treasures of the past were hidden in the city.
  I think it’s a wizard that saved the city.”
  Source: Harland Micajah [male human,
  Fighter 3, hp 21], a towering black man, almost
  six and a half feet tall with massive shoulders and
  thick, powerful arms and legs. Harland is a free-
  lance adventurer that often works with a group
  out of Glatek. Harland is reluctant to say too
  much since his crew is planning to explore the
  city themselves.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Platia is what ‘cher talkin’ about, lad. Survived
  the rains unharmed? Not bloody likely. Platia is a
  decimated wasteland on the surface, just like
  everything else around us. The survivors live
  underground like a lot of those fools without a
  city-mech to call home. I hear there’s some good
  treasures up there in Platia – those idiots don’t
  even know what they’ve got. I’ve half a mind to
  go there myself and swindle those fools out of
  the good stuff.”
  Source:
  Grunnar the Grimy
  [male dwarf, Expert 2, hp 5], a
  filthy dwarf that makes his living
  fixing broken machinery (some say
  that his business exists because he
  sneaks in and breaks machinery and
  then offers to fix it for a lower rate than his
  competitors). Grunnar is commonly found
  drunk outside the nearest tavern or hurrying
  on his way to a job. Checking around indicates
  that the dwarf doesn’t have many friends.
  Follow Up: Locating Platia is a difficult
  task for any that have never been there. If the
  player characters attempt to find the ruined city
  they’ll have an adventure ahead of them. Many
  conmen and thieves will offer to sell maps to
  Platia but finding an accurate map should take
  several weeks of game time. Once the player
  characters reach the city they find that it is
  largely destroyed, housing only a few hundred
  people, and as poor as it is dirty. Nevertheless,
  there are some items of value to be found in
  the city – see below for a brief history of Platia
  and the treasures that are held, often unknow-
  ingly, by its remaining residents.
  �
  HISTORY OF PLATIA
  Platia and its surrounding lands had
  already been isolated for several centuries
  prior to the coming lunar rains. Able to pro-
  duce everything that was needed for its popu-
  lation and governed by a council that focused
  on building a peaceful, self-contained society,
  Platia had little contact with the outside world
  except for the occasional traveler or tradesman
  that happened by.
  13
  A Lost City Has Been Rediscovered
  23
  
  Then, some four hundred years before the
  coming of the lunar rains, after suffering
  through a plague whose origins were eventu-
  ally traced to a traveling merchant, the city
  council completely closed off Platia to all out-
  siders on penalty of death. With this edict
  strictly enforced, what little trade and contact
  there had been with the outside world ceased
  and, within two generations, Platia had passed
  from memory.
  Through careful management of its
  resources and a program of stringent popula-
  tion control, Platia spent the centuries until the
  coming of the lunar rains in peace and relative
  prosperity. Although innovation and curiosity
  were discouraged by a strictly enforced set of
  laws that regulated almost every aspect of life,
  from the crafting of goods to the planting of
  fields to one’s place in society, these same
  laws guaranteed specific rights, freedoms, and
  certainties to every citizen of Platia. Thus,
  while no Platian could rise, neither could they
  fall and so life in Platia changed not at all in
  over four centuries. Then came the lunar rains.
  In less than a generation, Platia was deci-
  mated. While the destruction of the city was
  not any more severe than that faced by scores
  of other surface cities, the residents of Platia
  were uniquely unprepared to deal with this
  catastrophe. Whereas a resident of Rook or
  Lebra might mourn the destruction of her city,
  she knew that there were other cities and
  other places to go, but for the Platians, their
  city was their entire world; paralyzed by their
  own ignorance, they could do nothing but
  cling to their crumbling city.
  The laws that had guided Platia through
  centuries of stability had no answer to the
  unending lunar rains and the predations of
  lunar dragons and, as the houses of Platia
  were pounded down, so was its civilization.
  Order and law gave way to chaos and anar-
  chy. Many Platians succumbed to madness
  and despair, often taking their own lives or
  those of others, and those that escaped this
  fate could do little more than merely struggle
  to survive.�
  PLATIA IN THE PRESENT
  The residents of Platia today are nothing
  like their forefathers. Beaten down by the
  decades of destruction, the Platians are a
  small, fragmented, and despondent people
  that exist only because the innate will to live
  is stronger than the desire to die; none but the
  oldest Platians even have an inkling of their
  history. 
  As a result, most Platians go through life
  with a fatalistic attitude and an expectation
  that things are only going to get worse. Even
  the recent appearance of outsiders and the
  massive machines they bring with them, rather
  than being seen as signs of hope, are viewed
  by the Platians as yet one more sign of how
  far their civilization has fallen and how little
  control they have of their lives.
  Platia is an open city rife for conquest and
  domination and it is hard not to notice this
  within a few moments of arriving within the
  city. Already opportunistic traders, petty war-
  lords, ruthless outlaws, and merciless slavers
  mingle in the ruins of Platia, grabbing who
  and what they can while the demoralized
  Platians simply stand by and watch, too
  despondent to put up any resistance.
  �
  TREASURES OF PLATIA
  The Platians value little beyond what they
  need to remain alive (i.e. food, shelter, wood
  for fires, etc.). This, combined with their
  defeatist mindset (many literally believe that
  they deserve to be robbed and taken advan-
  14
  
  tage of while others just don’t care) makes them
  and their city prime targets for exploitation by
  those with little qualms about taking advantage of
  others. 
  So what is there to exploit in all of the rub-
  ble? Are there mountains of gems and magic lying
  in hidden caches? Are the streets really made of
  gold? Well, no, at least not in the literal sense. But
  for those with a head for business, there is plen-
  ty of opportunity to be found among the ruins of
  Platia.
  Valuable Metals
  Given the isolation of Platia there isn’t a lot of
  valuable metal to be had. In fact, prior to the
  lunar rains the economy of Platia worked on a
  highly regulated barter system based on loaves of
  bread (i.e. one sheep is equal to 200 loaves of
  bread, etc.). As a result, gold and other precious
  metals had no actual economic value (they still
  don’t; any trading with the Platians is done on a
  barter system). However, this does not mean that
  there aren’t any precious metals available. 
  As everywhere, there was gold, silver, cop-
  per, and even some platinum in the city before its
  self-imposed isolation. Having no economic
  value, the Platians used these metals in works of
  art (chiefly jewelry) or just collected them (much
  like someone might collect figurines or interesting
  rocks). Thus, while there are no great treasure
  piles to be found, the precious metals that are
  there have been ignored by the Platians and are
  otherwise unguarded.
  Gems
  Like all peoples, the Platians appreciated the
  beauty of gems and gemstones did have value in
  Platian society. 
  Chief among the Platian gemstones was
  jade, which was locally mined from a large
  deposit nearby (although largely played out
  even before the coming of the lunar rains, there
  is still some jade in the mine to be found by
  those willing to look). So large was the quantity
  of jade relative to the city’s population that vir-
  tually everyone, from the wealthiest to the poor-
  est, wore it as an ornamental stone in everything
  from earrings to necklaces to bracelets. Even
  today Platians still wear a significant amount of
  jade, although this is more so out of habit and
  tradition than actually valuing it.
  Other kinds of gemstones were also in use
  and can be found by those willing to look in the
  rubble or don’t mind robbing graves, however
  none come anywhere close to jade in terms of
  abundance, especially after the city began its cen-
  turies of isolation.
  Art
  One of the few ways of expressing individu-
  ality and imagination in Platian society was
  through artwork; rare was the citizen of Platia that
  was not skilled in some form of art (i.e. oratory,
  drama, sculpture, mosaics, etc.). 
  Because of this, during its heyday the city
  was filled with artistic treasures of every kind,
  both big and small. Many of these artistic treas-
  ures, especially the large statues that could be
  found on almost every street corner, were
  destroyed during the lunar rains. But considering
  how literally every nook and cranny of every
  home featured art, there are still plenty of artistic
  treasures to be found. 
  From intact wall and floor mosaics to life-like
  sculptures, detailed paintings to ornate oil lamps,
  fine rugs to highly decorated furnishings; those
  that sift through the rubble carefully have little
  trouble unearthing some small treasure. Then
  there are the basements. 
  Many Platian families stored less successful or
  popular pieces in their basements (to destroy
  anything artistic was considered morally repre-
  hensible). These pieces, while poor by Platian
  standards of the time, were still very good by
  Highpoint standards, and that was before the
  lunar rains. Today, with the destruction of so
  much, even common pieces of Platian art com-
  mand masterwork prices in the markets of the
  15
  
  city-mechs and the few cities with people
  wealthy enough to be able to afford them. 
  Base Metals
  A metal that Platia does have in abundance is
  iron; there is a significant deposit of iron ore just
  outside of the city. The Platians did use iron for
  forging farm tools, in artwork, and the making of
  arms, but never in any truly significant amounts;
  there was only one small mine tapping the
  deposit and that hasn’t been used, except as a
  refuge from the lunar rains and dragons, in
  almost a century. With the ever-increasing
  demand for metal on Highpoint this largely
  untapped resource is arguably the most valuable
  commodity possessed by Platia.
  There are also deposits of copper, nickel, and
  zinc in the immediate area, also largely untapped.
  These deposits are significantly smaller than the
  iron deposit but they are valuable nonetheless.
  Magic Items
  Platian society as a whole had little use for
  magic items, especially of a military (i.e. adven-
  turing) nature. However, Platian spellcaster did
  excel at crafting artistic magic items (i.e. paintings
  using various illusion spells, glass spheres that
  glow with an inner light, animated statues, etc.)
  and Platian clerics produced a fair share of com-
  munity-focused (chiefly healing and curing) items.
  People
  A final resource are the Platians themselves.
  While their forefathers were once accomplished
  artists, craftsmen, and farmers, the Platians of
  today are little more than primitives. In the cen-
  tury since the coming of the lunar rains, the
  Platians have lost virtually all their civilization’s
  storehouse of knowledge in their struggle merely
  to stay alive. As a result, the Platians have little to
  offer but their bodies.
  Naturally, there are individuals in Platia today
  that realize this (it is in fact why they are there)
  and it is only a matter of time before a sufficient-
  ly large amount of the native Platian population
  finds its way into the bowels of mechs and the
  entire Platian civilization is truly and permanent-
  ly extinguished.
  16
  SAMPLE PLATIAN TREASURE
  The following treasure is representative of what individuals searching the rubble of Platia
  might find. For more treasure ideas, both magical and mundane, see Ronin Arts’ 101 Collection
  and A Dozen . . . Collection One.
  Platian Jewel Box
  Appearance: This small wooden box is some four inches wide, two inches long, and two
  inches deep. Its exterior features exquisite wooden inlays of various sheaves of grain. The box’s
  hinged lid has no lock. The box’s inside is lined with yellow velvet upon which a number of
  teardrop-shaped pieces of jade lie.
  Appraise Information:  DC 16. This is a very fine jewel box indeed and, although it has
  suffered noticeable scratching due to the collapse of its owner’s house, it is otherwise intact. 
  There are a total of 17 pieces of jade in the box. The worked form of the jade pieces sug-
  gests that they were ultimately intended for use in a larger piece. 
  Value: 2,840 gp (500 gp for the box, 2,340 gp for the jade).
  Special Rules: None
  
  Setup: While aboard a city-mech
  word spreads quickly that another
  city-mech has been destroyed and
  most of the rumors point to a lunar
  dragon. Whispers spread telling tale
  after tale of how the giant lunar dragon
  attacked and completely destroyed the city-
  mech. The name of the destroyed city-mech is
  unimportant since the rumor is blatantly false;
  it just can’t be the name of the city-mech the
  player characters are currently aboard. Of
  course, the rumor won’t die down anytime
  soon and the player characters won’t be able
  to escape reports like the following.
  Failed Gather Information Check: “It’s
  all that anyone’s talkin’ about. Rebirth was
  totally destroyed by about the biggest lunar
  dragon that’s ever existed. They say it was at
  least half again as big as the city-mech and eas-
  ily ripped the mech to pieces, killing everyone
  inside before it moved on. Some of us are get-
  tin’ ready to go out to the wreck and get what-
  ever we can off of it before it’s stripped down
  to a shell. They say a swarm of young lunar
  dragons have made a home in the burning
  shell so iffin you’re lookin’ for some work we
  could hire you on to help kill whatever’s inside
  the city-mech.”
  Source: Halver Greenteeth [male dwarf,
  Expert 3, hp 6], a middle-aged scavenger.
  Halver is missing a leg and gets around with a
  crutch. He’s been trying to save enough gold
  to replace his leg for a decade now, but he’s
  prone to blowing everything he manages to
  scrape together on whores and ale. Halver has
  a reputation in the city as a dwarf who is
  always hatching some plan or other. Many a
  young adventurer has accompanied Halver on
  expeditions to find treasure though
  few ever find anything of any real
  value.
  Successful 
  Gather
  Information Check: “That rumor
  about Rebirth being destroyed? It’s
  nothing but a rumor, completely false. Now
  it is true that a swarm of young lunar dragons
  were sighted near Rebirth about a week ago,
  but I’m hearing that they weren’t lunar dragons
  at all but rather some weird new lunar creature
  that’s as big as a man and flies. Some say that
  there are wizards that will pay up to 2,000 gold
  for the corpse of one of those creatures –
  something about how they’re useful for spell-
  casting.”
  Source: Fra’nck Tharnaa [male human,
  Fighter 12, hp 80], a short, thick man with a
  heavy beard and bushy eyebrows. Tharnaa
  works as a bodyguard for an influential mer-
  chant and is well connected (since he spends
  most of his time eavesdropping rather than
  guarding his client). Tharnaa may have more
  information on the strange lunar creatures –
  and which wizards are offering the bounty –
  but it will take some gold to loosen his tongue.
  If the player characters pay the fighter 50 gold,
  he’ll tell them the following:
  “Smoke, a steam mage that lives down in
  the guts of the city, is one of the wizards I’ve
  heard is paying for those creatures. I don’t
  know what he’s doing with them but many say
  that he’s already bought four corpses and is
  still looking for more.”
  Follow Up: Several treasure hunters and
  salvagers set off to locate the destroyed city-
  mech, intent on recovering anything of value
  that remains. If the player characters choose to
  17
  A City-Mech Was Destroyed
  25
  
  accompany the salvage teams, or if they set off
  on their own in a race to be the first to claim the
  wreck, they’ll have an impossible time finding
  the destroyed city-mech (since the rumor is com-
  pletely false). They will, however, encounter a
  flight of the strange new lunar creatures.
  The player characters could also attempt to
  use the rumor to their advantage, perhaps by
  selling “maps” to the site of the destroyed city-
  mech or hiring themselves out as guards to
  protect the salvage operators (naturally
  demanding payment up front).
  18
  LUNAR DRAKE
  Medium Dragon (Lunar)
  Hit Dice:
  5d12 +15 (47 hp)
  Initiative:
  +2
  Speed:
  40 ft. (8 squares), fly 80 ft. (average)
  Armor Class:
  18 (+2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 16
  Base Attack/Grapple:
  +5/+8
  Attack:
  Claw +8 melee (1d6+3)
  Full Attack:
  2 claws +8 melee (1d6+3) and bite +6 melee (1d6+1) and 2 wings 
  +6 melee (1d4+1)
  Space/Reach:
  5 ft./5 ft.
  Special Attacks:
  Breath weapon
  Special Qualities:
  Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, lunar, scent
  Saves:
  Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5
  Abilities:
  Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 7
  Skills:
  Hide +10*, Listen +13, Move Silently +10, Spot +13 
  Feats:
  Flyby Attack, Multiattack
  Environment:
  Any land or lunar
  Organization:
  Solitary, pair, or flight (3–12)
  Challenge Rating:
  5
  Treasure:
  Standard
  Alignment:
  Usually chaotic evil
  Advancement:
  5–6 HD (Medium); 7–12 HD (Large)
  Level Adjustment:
  -
  Lunar drakes appear as squat, toad-like
  creatures with four stumpy legs and fat, stubby
  wings. The wide mouths are filled with rows of
  sharp teeth, much like a shark, and their feet
  end in sharp claws. The skin of a lunar drake
  is a smoky black interlaced by a thick network
  of pulsing black blood vessels.
  Lunar drakes prefer to travel in flights,
  destroying anything they encounter and then
  moving on without pause. 
  A lunar drake’s body has a 6-foot girth and
  is about 7feet tall when the creature stands on
  its hind legs. It weighs about 350 pounds.
  
  COMBAT
  Lunar drakes prefer to either remain still
  on their perches or to fly high above the
  ground and out of sight of land-bound crea-
  tures, then suddenly attack by diving onto
  their prey.
  Breath Weapon (Su): 30-foot line, once
  every 1d4 rounds, damage 3d10 lunar energy,
  Reflex save DC 15 half. The save DC is
  Constitution-based.
  A lunar drake’s breath weapon is a line of
  lunar energy. It looks like a burst of black
  lightning. No terrestrial equivalent exists, and
  the breath weapon bypasses all resistance to
  fire, cold, and other such forms; only blanket
  energy resistance can repel it.
  Lunar (Ex): A lunar drake takes only half
  damage from most elemental attacks (air, fire,
  and water) and takes no damage against such
  elemental attacks on a successful save. A
  lunar drake takes double damage from all
  earth-based attacks and magic (such as spells
  with the Earth descriptor). A lunar drake
  receives a +10 bonus to saves against mind-
  influencing effects (charms, compulsions,
  phantasms, patterns, and morale effects),
  mind blasts and psionic attacks, and detect
  thoughts due to its alien psychology.
  Skills: Lunar drakes have a +4 racial
  bonus on Listen and Spot checks. *A lunar
  drake gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks
  in areas of shadowy illumination.
  � 
  A CORPSE, A CORPSE, MY
  KINGDOM FOR A CORPSE . . .
  Arguably the greatest weapon possessed
  by lunar dragons and lunar drakes is their
  breath weapons. Composed of lunar energy, a
  type of energy that was completely unknown
  until the arrival of the lunar dragons upon
  Highpoint, such breath weapons break
  through all but the mightiest of protective
  magic and this fact has contributed not
  insignificantly to the lowered status that ter-
  restrial sorcerers, wizards, and clerics find
  themselves having to endure.
  Until the arrival of the lunar creatures the
  most common means of protecting oneself
  against any form of energy was to engage the
  services of a spellcaster (or to be one) and
  make us of abjuration magic either in the
  form of a spell (the most common being pro-
  tection from energy and resist energy) or craft-
  ed into a magical item (which also relied
  mostly on the aforementioned spells); when
  such protections failed, those that could wield
  them were also seen to have failed.
  Since that time, much effort has been ded-
  icated by spellcasters towards solving the rid-
  dle of lunar energy. Unfortunately, due to the
  complete lack of cooperation from the lunar
  dragons or drakes, almost all research must
  be done using the corpses of these beasts
  (understandably most spellcasters are reluc-
  tant to take their theories straight to the field
  and weather a lunar dragon’s breath weapon
  to see if they were right). 
  As a result, the corpses of dead lunar
  dragons and drakes fetch a high price; prices
  approaching 100 gp per Hit Die are not
  unknown (the DM should roll 2d4 and multi-
  ply this result by 10 and in turn multiply that
  by the Hit Dice of the lunar dragon or drake
  to come at the actual price).
  What do the spellcasters do with these
  corpses? They dissect them, hurl magic at
  them, subject them to trials of fire, acid, cold,
  electricity, etc.; in short, they do everything
  they can think of to unlock the secrets behind
  lunar energy.
  19
  
  LUNAR ENERGY
  Ultimately it is up to the DM to decide
  whether such research efforts pay off and, if
  they do, when. Keeping in mind that the
  inability to easily protect against lunar energy
  has a profound impact on the current situa-
  tion on Highpoint, the DM should carefully
  consider how to deal with this issue; there is
  nothing wrong with simply leaving things as
  they are.
  That being said, for DMs wishing to tap
  into lunar energy as a means of expanding
  their campaign, here are some suggestions:
  A Pound Of Flesh . . .
  The DM might want to allow protection
  from energy, resist energy, and similar spells
  to ward against lunar energy as long as the
  spellcaster has access to the flesh of a lunar
  creature as a material component. The flesh
  must be from a lunar creature that uses lunar
  energy, such as a lunar dragon or a lunar
  drake. 
  The minimum amount should be a pound
  of flesh (enough to where weight becomes a
  consideration, but not so much so that a
  decent amount can’t be carried on someone’s
  back), but the DM may decide to require
  more; a good measuring stick in such an
  instance would be to demand a Hit Die worth
  of flesh (somewhere around 30 pounds; too
  much to really carry effectively on anything
  but a mech and it also makes it easy to deter-
  mine how many uses one gets out of that
  lunar drake corpse).
  Along this same line, the DM may also
  decide to give Highpoint spellcasters the abil-
  ity to use lunar energy offensively. In this case
  the inclusion of the flesh of a lunar creature
  as a material component allows the wizard to
  alter the energy patterns of evocation spells
  (i.e. fireball, lightning bolt) to use lunar ener-
  gy instead. All aspects of the spell remain the
  same, except that the spell now draws upon
  lunar energy instead of fire, acid, electricity,
  etc. 
  Note that these two developments could
  happen at different times, at the same time, or
  only one. Thus it is possible that Highpoint
  spellcasters learn how to defend against lunar
  energy, but not to use it. Or first learn how to
  employ it offensively before discovering how
  20
  LUNAR ENERGY VS. OTHER TYPES OF ENERGY
  While all types of energy cause equal damage to most creatures, various types of energy deal
  different amounts of their normal damage to most objects (including mechs). Consult the table
  below for how the energy form’s normal damage is affected when it is used against an object
  or mech:
  Type of Energy
  Damage to Objects (including mechs)
  Acid
  Full
  Cold
  One-quarter
  Electricity
  Half
  Fire
  Half
  Lunar
  Full
  Sonic
  Full
  
  to defend against it (in which case those
  spellcasters that know how to cast a lunar
  energy bolt gain a serious advantage over
  those that don’t).
  Just Another Energy Source
  In this case, Highpoint spellcasters
  unlock the secrets of lunar energy to the
  same extent as those of fire, air, water, acid,
  and sonic; lunar energy becomes just anoth-
  er energy source to be unleashed or defend-
  ed against. Whether this happens after they
  first learn how to wield the energy using the
  flesh of lunar creatures as a material compo-
  nent, or without, is not as important as what
  this does to the status of lunar energy and
  the campaign as a whole.
  Obviously, opening up the use of lunar
  energy to this extent will eliminate a lot of
  the “special” feel it has; after all, it is now just
  another energy source to be tapped by those
  with the know-how (although there may be
  very few of those). It is still very effective,
  since it continues to do full damage against
  objects and mechs much like acid and sonic
  energy do (see Lunar Energy Vs. Other
  Types Of Energy boxed text), but it is now
  subject to the same defenses as all other
  forms of energy.
  But more important than the effect on
  combat that reducing lunar energy to just
  another energy type will have is the effect
  that being able to freely wield lunar energy
  will have on the attitudes of the campaign
  world as a whole and especially the attitudes
  of the peoples of Highpoint.
  Some might take it to be a clear sign that
  the defenders of Highpoint are well be on
  their way to controlling, or perhaps even
  defeating, the lunar invasion while others
  might see it as a further extension of the
  lunar influence upon the terrestrial world
  (and would condemn those able to use the
  energy as being in league with the lunar
  gods, perhaps going so far as to actively hunt
  them down). 
  How would the terrestrial gods feel if
  their followers are suddenly able to wield the
  energies of their lunar nemeses? How would
  this affect the status of spellcasters? Certainly
  those that could wield lunar energy would
  rise in status, but what about those that
  could not? Would their status drop even fur-
  ther? 
  While there are great possibilities for the
  expansion of the campaign in allowing
  broader access to lunar energy, the DM
  should consider these and other questions
  carefully before doing so.
  Corrupting Influence
  A truly interesting twist would be to have
  the revelation of how to use lunar energy be
  a trap laid by Andakakilogitat (for more
  information on the Lunar God of Dragons
  see Goodman Games’ DragonMech rule-
  book p. 63-64). In this case, any Highpoint
  spellcaster that taps into lunar energy risks
  acquiring the lunar-cursed template (see p.
  5) and becoming a servant of the lunar gods. 
  A handy mechanic for this is for the DM
  to require a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + the
  level of the lunar energy spell) each time a
  spell is cast using lunar energy, with failure
  resulting in the acquisition of the template
  and becoming a servant of the lunar powers
  (the DM might want to mitigate this transfor-
  mation by allowing the spellcaster a Will
  save against a DC of 10 + the level of the
  lunar energy spell and, if the save succeeds,
  the spellcaster does not transform).
  21
  
  Setup: While visiting a city-
  mech or other community the play-
  er characters see a flyer offering a
  reward for a book that was stolen
  from a Legion merchant several
  weeks ago. Several adventurers and
  common folk are plotting to uncover the
  thief and turn him in for the substantial
  reward. So many people are after the reward
  that the rumors have grown so quickly – and
  are so filled with lies – that the chances of
  the book being recovered decrease with
  every passing moment. A few rumors that
  the player characters may hear include the
  following.
  Failed Gather Information Check:
  “What I heard was a steam mage stole it and
  run off to the south. He’s goin’ for a ship
  that’s gonna take him across the ocean to his
  fortress. I’m lookin’ for a few good people to
  join with me so that we can catch ‘em and
  get the reward.” Eyes the party closely, then
  belches. “You look like a tough enough crew
  to work fer me. What say you?”
  Source: Nears Darksteel [male dwarf,
  Fighter 3, hp 19], a dwarf dressed in a red
  cloak and gearmail. Nears Darksteel is work-
  ing to become a legendary warrior and takes
  many, many reckless and needless risks
  when in combat. He’s already developed a
  reputation as a trustworthy dwarf but it is his
  prowess in battle that he wishes to be known
  for. Darksteel is prone to losing himself in
  brawls when he drinks too much (which is
  frequently).
  Successful 
  Gather
  Information Check: “Dear, that’s
  all I’m hearing is about that book.
  The problem is that no one seems
  to know exactly what the book is.
  Some say it’s a wizard’s spellbook,
  packed with special spells for controlling
  and 
  destroying 
  mechs. 
  But 
  Father
  Belcharnal, he’s a member of my church, has
  discovered that it’s actually a mech construc-
  tion manual. He’s tasked me to find the book
  since the reward would do our church good.
  Could I possibly join you? I know the direc-
  tion the thief was last seen headed in.”
  Source: Finnbogi Pavel [male human,
  Cleric 5, hp 27], a male human cleric
  (Healing and Protection domains). Pavel
  wears a simple supertunic and breeches and
  carries a small shield and heavy mace. He’s a
  quiet, relaxed man that spends his days pray-
  ing and attempting to convert others to his
  religion. Pavel frequently journeys with
  adventuring companies – both to acquire
  wealth for his god and to spread the message
  of his religion. He rarely remains with one
  adventuring company for more than a month
  or two at a time.
  Follow Up: If the player characters
  choose to go after the thief they discover that
  Reynold, a wizard, and Zach, a rogue, stole
  the book and have plans to sell it to a sage
  in Edge. The exact level of the thieves
  depends on the needs of your campaign and,
  if necessary, the two have hired guards (orc
  guards would make an excellent guard for
  these two). The book includes the design
  specifications for the two new Legion mechs
  listed below.
  22
  Reward Offered for Recovery of Book
  25
  
  23
  ARMORED SAINT
  Size: Colossal
  Power Source: Steam
  Payload Units: 20 (extra weapon mounts)
  Height: 36 ft.
  Space/Reach: 15 ft. by 15 ft./15 ft.
  Crew: 4 (weapons: 2)
  Firing Ports: 13
  Hit Dice: 48
  Hit Points: 264
  Critical Thresholds: Green, Yellow 132, Orange 66, Red 26
  Base Initiative: -1
  Speed: 60 ft. (armor plating, fast legs)
  Maneuverability: Average
  AC: 2
  Hardness: 13 (armor plating, iron, colossal)
  Base Melee Attack: +2
  Base Ranged Attack: -1
  Unarmed Damage: 1d12+10
  Trample: largest Large; safe Large; damage 4d6
  Saves: Fort 0, Ref -4, Will -
  Abilities: Str 30, Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis -, Cha -
  Mechcraft DC: 39
  Base Planning Time: 78 days
  Base Cost: 3,118 gp 
  Total Cost: 7,413 gp
  Labor Requirements: 3,840 man-hours
  Construction Time: 48 days (10 avg. laborers plus 1 overseers)
  Special: Armor plating (+2 hardness, -10 ft. speed), extra weapon mounts (2 for 4 PU), fast legs
  (+20 ft.), steady feet (+4 to trip checks)
  Payload Usage
  PU
  Use
  4
  Crew
  16
  Onboard Weapons
  Onboard Weapons
  Location
  Arc of Fire
  Weapon (Damage, Range in Ft., Other)
  PU
  Crew
  Right Arm
  Melee
  Gargantuan sword blade (2d12+10/19-20 x3)
  8
  1
  Left Arm
  180° Forward
  2x linked huge flame nozzles (2d8/x2, 30 ft.)
  8
  1
  
  Special
  Rider Platforms: In its role as an infantry
  support mech (see General Information
  below), the armored saint is designed specifi-
  cally for carrying infantry riders into combat;
  the riders conserve their energy and make use
  of the mech’s greater speed while heading to
  the battlefield, deploying or fighting from the
  mech once it arrives. To this purpose the
  armored saint has been outfitted with eight
  rider platforms (two on each leg and four on
  the torso). 
  Each platform is nothing more than a one-
  foot semicircular platform
  extending from the mech
  upon which the
  rider can
  s i t
  or stand that has been outfitted with a hook at
  roughly waist height. The rider attaches a
  leather strap or chain to this hook and attach-
  es the strap to another hook coming from his
  belt (all Legion riders wear a belt with such a
  hook).  
  Once connected, the rider no longer needs
  to make Balance checks to hold onto a mech
  (since the strap holds him in place) and can
  attack with one or both hands without any
  danger; if the rider can stand the mech’s
  motion, he can even sleep while strapped to
  the platform.
  The rider can attach himself to, or detach
  himself from, the strap or chain simply by
  removing the strap or chain from the hook on
  his waist. Attaching or detaching the strap is a
  move action that provokes an attack of
  opportunity.
  General Information
  The armored saint is destined
  to be the next generation of
  Legion infantry mech and its
  design is a quantum leap by
  Legion standards. The mech is
  designed to fill much the same
  role as the dwarven incinerator;
  like its dwarven counterpart,
  the armored saint is not
  designed to be deployed on its
  own against other mechs
  because it lacks enough
  effective 
  anti-mech
  weapons.
  The armored saint’s
  purpose is two-fold: to
  protect Legion mechs
  that are vulnerable to
  infantry attacks and to
  lead Legion infantry
  against lunar drag-
  ons. It is for this sec-
  ond purpose that
  24
  
  the armored saint was crafted to appear much
  like an armored warrior; Shar Thizdic felt that
  it would be more inspirational to have a mech
  design that resembled a human.
  One interesting aspect of the armored
  saint’s design, and one likely to be incorpo-
  rated with other Legion mechs, is the fact that
  there is actually a surfeit of crew; even at its
  most basic, the mech has one more
  crewmember than it needs to be at full com-
  bat effectiveness. This reserve crew slot
  means that if one of the crewmembers of the
  armored saint is removed from combat, the
  reserve crewman can take his place; when not
  needed to take a fallen crewman’s place, the
  reserve crewman is expected to fire any per-
  sonal weapons or sling a bomb or two when
  the mech is in combat.
  In place of the reserve crewman the
  armored saint can also take aboard a specialist.
  This is usually determined on a mission-by-
  mission basis. For example, if facing magical
  elven mechs, a wizard or sorcerer might occu-
  py the position. Or, when working on covert
  missions or when the object is to capture
  enemy mechs, a stalker might occupy the posi-
  tion; the stalker could even deploy directly to
  the enemy mech once the armored saint has
  engaged in melee combat.
  Overall, the armored saint is a solid com-
  bination of toughness, speed, and agility.
  Furthermore, the design shows clear evidence
  of having been influenced by Irontooth clan
  designs and, given its capabilities the armored
  saint would be a welcome addition to the
  mech devils’ arsenal.
  25
  Every step of the Armored Saint reverberated through Rynsam's body. The Legion
  mech's pilot had picked up the pace, obviously eager to close with the crippled
  Stenian Incinerator, and each massive stride caused the stalker's teeth to grind and
  her ears to ring from the noise. 
  Reflexively Rynsam checked to make sure that her lanyard was still connected to
  the rider platform; it was. Not that she was likely to fall off. As with all stalkers her
  balance was superb and she was riding the platform like a sailor rode the decks of
  a storm-tossed ship, but it never hurt to have that extra margin of safety.
  From her position on the Armored Saint's torso she could easily make out the mas-
  sive silhouette of the Incinerator among the dust cloud it was churning up. It was
  an impressive sight. But the Stenian mech was a wounded giant, its disabled leg
  dredging a deep furrow into the blasted earth, and it was Rynsam's job to finish it
  off. 
  The Armored Saint's pilot maneuvered closer, being careful to keep to the Stenian
  mech's back in order to avoid its torso-mounted steam cannon. The Incinerator's
  pilot, realizing that he could not outrun his pursuer, had stopped and was slowly
  turning his mech around, pivoting as best as he could on his mech's mangled leg.
  But it was too late. Arcing his path to stay on the Incinerator's back, the Armored
  Saint's pilot plunged into the dust cloud. And as the Legion mech closed, Rynsom
  readied her grappling hook. It was time to earn her pay.
  
  STEEL TYRANT
  Size: Colossal II
  Power Source: Steam
  Payload Units: 32
  Height: 54 ft.
  Space/Reach: 25 ft. by 25 ft./25 ft.
  Crew: 8 (weapons: 4)
  Firing Ports: 21
  Hit Dice: 96
  Hit Points: 528
  Critical Thresholds: Green, Yellow 264, Orange 132, Red 53
  Base Initiative: -2
  Speed: 60 ft. (armor plating, fast legs)
  Maneuverability: Average
  AC: 2
  Hardness: 16 (armor plating, steel, colossal II)
  Base Melee Attack: +4
  Base Ranged Attack: -2
  Unarmed Damage: 3d6+13
  Trample: largest Huge; safe Large; damage 5d6
  Saves: Fort 0, Ref -4, Will -
  Abilities: Str 36, Dex 6, Con -, Int -, Wis -, Cha -
  Mechcraft DC: 42
  Base Planning Time: 84 days
  Base Cost: 5,725 gp 
  Total Cost: 22,587 gp
  Labor Requirements: 7,680 man-hours
  Construction Time: 96 days (10 avg. laborers plus 1 overseers)
  Special: Armor plating (+2 hardness, -10 ft. speed), fast legs (+20 ft.), steady feet (+4 to trip
  checks)
  Payload Usage
  PU
  Use
  8
  Crew
  24
  Onboard Weapons
  Onboard Weapons
  Location
  Arc of Fire
  Weapon (Damage, Range in Ft., Other)
  PU
  Crew
  Mouth
  180° Forward
  Gargantuan steam cannon (3d10/x3, 950 ft.)
  8
  2
  Right Arm
  Melee
  Gargantuan buzz saw (2d12/19-20 x3)
  8
  1
  Left Arm
  Melee
  Gargantuan buzz saw (2d12/19-20 x3)
  8
  1
  26
  
  Special
  Stability: The steel tyrant’s tail makes it more
  stable than other mechs of its size. The steel tryant
  receives a +2 bonus to Balance and trip checks
  (this bonus stacks with its steady feet bonus of +4
  for a total bonus of +6 to trip checks). This feature
  raises the base cost by 10%.
  General Information
  The Legion’s steel tyrant design was devel-
  oped at the behest of Shar Thizdic – inspired by
  rumors of an orc mech that resembles a giagantic
  lizard – who wanted to develop a main battle
  mech that would combine a ferocious appear-
  ance with good combat capabilities and excellent
  survivability. The steel tyrant is only one of sev-
  eral designs to have been submitted and it is cur-
  rently awaiting the building of a prototype for
  field trials.
  The strongest aspect of the steel tyrant
  design is its survivability; it is faster than most
  mechs of its size and its steel armor plating
  gives it the best protection the Legion can pro-
  vide. 
  On the combat side, while the steel tyrant’s
  steam cannon provides it with respectable
  ranged power, it is in melee combat that the
  steel tyrant is expected to excel. In fact, the
  entire purpose of designing the mech in the
  lizard design was to give it an advantage in
  one-on-one mech combat. When engaging
  another mech the steel tyrant is expected to be
  able to use its superior stability to trip up the
  other mech and, once the mech has fallen, to
  bring both of its buzz saws to bear on the
  prone mech, slicing it to ribbons in a matter of
  moments. 
  Currently, in an effort to make the steel
  tyrant even more effective with its trip attacks,
  the steel tyrant’s designers are attempting
  to design a maneuverable tail that will
  allow the steel tyrant to sweep its
  tail at an opponent’s legs,
  allowing the mech to knock
  its opponents down with-
  out risk to itself.
  However, they have
  not produced a suc-
  cessful design for
  such a tail yet. 
  As a result, if
  and when the
  steel tyrant will
  see production
  and what form it
  will ultimately
  take are ques-
  tions that only
  Shar Thizdic
  can answer. 
  27
  
  Setup: As the moon is rising
  and the adventurers are entering
  the protection of a small cara-
  vanserai or underground communi-
  ty, a bizarre, twisted aberration that
  resembles a mech crashes through the
  area and kills several innocent citizens,
  dragging off the slain bodies afterward. The
  lunar rains beat down particularly fiercely
  that night, blocking any attempts at chasing
  or identifying the mech. Asking around, the
  player characters may learn the following.
  Failed Gather Information Check:
  “That were Ribaldar Grack and his Defender
  mech that just killed them people. Grack’s a
  nasty half-orc steamborg that stole hisself a
  Defender from a Legion patrol I’d say ‘bout a
  month ago. He’s been crashing past us every
  few days ever since. Sometimes he stops
  grabs the bodies but none ‘a us knows what
  he’s doin’ with the corpses. Some says he’s
  eatin’ ‘em and others say he’s selllin’ ‘em to
  a necromancer. I just stay out of his way.”
  Source: Puzzy Stonecarver [male dwarf,
  Coglayer 4, hp 9], a dwarf that lives in the
  city (or wherever this rumor is heard). Puzzy
  is short for a dwarf and spends most of his
  time working in his shop. He’s a skilled
  craftsman and loves to experiment with
  steam equipment.
  Successful 
  Gather 
  Information
  Check:
  “Yes, that was Ribalder Grack’s
  Defender but Grack’s been dead over a week
  now; a patrol found his broken body not too
  far from here. A couple of guards managed
  to get a good look at the Defender with a
  spyglass a few days ago and according to
  them there’s something strange about the
  mech. You see, it wasn’t smoking,
  which is odd considering that the
  Defender is a steamer. If they’re
  right, that mech’s been taken over
  by something or someone else
  who’s up to no good. Whatever is
  going on, I stay out of the way and pray
  I’m not the one killed and stolen by the
  mech.”
  Source: Rickets [male human, Fighter
  7, hp 55], a human fighter from Chemak that
  has hired on as a guard with a merchant car-
  avan currently staying in the city. Rickets has
  been in the city for several weeks now and
  is about ready to shove off on his own. He’s
  tall, over six feet, and wears his long, black
  hair in a ponytail. Rickets wears chainmail
  and carries a long sword and shield. He’s
  friendly, outgoing, and always ready for a
  drink.
  Follow Up: If the player characters
  remain in the area they’ll see the mech
  approach and kill several individuals each
  night. After a few days, if they don’t take
  care of the problem on their own, city elders
  approach the party and offer to pay them if
  they’ll eliminate the threat. The mech will be
  difficult to defeat but the elders will certain-
  ly offer just enough of a reward to entice the
  party into attempting to destroy the abomi-
  nation.
  Note: The Defender mech can be found
  on p. 18 of Goodman Games’ Mech
  Manual. If you do not have the Mech
  Manual you can substitute any mech design
  of 
  your 
  choice. 
  Visit 
  www.good-
  mangames.com for more information about
  the Mech Manual.
  28
  That Mech is Killing Us All
  28
  
  WHAT’S GOING ON
  Ribalder Grack is indeed dead. He was
  dragged from his mech one night by iron
  shamblers under the control of Merdig [male
  dwarf, Constructor 14, hp 39], a disgruntled
  former Stenian who was ejected from the
  College of Constructors for working on a soul
  furnace. The dwarf is now working in concert
  with Chanaw [female half-orc, Cleric 14, hp
  32] to help her produce an army of smoking
  dead with which she plans to take over the
  nearby communities (and use the “resources”
  in those communities to produce more undead
  in order to increase her power). 
  Although not evil himself Merdig has
  agreed to aid Chanaw’s vile designs because
  she has promised to help him improve his soul
  furnace, a prototype of which he has installed
  in the Defender.
  Currently their designs are still in their
  infancy and the duo are using Grack’s mech,
  powered by Merdig’s prototype soul furnace
  (the engine draws its power from an unfortu-
  nate local who is imprisoned in the soul fur-
  nace) and piloted by the dwarf, to kill the
  locals and carry their bodies back to their
  secret lair.
  Between them the pair already have a siz-
  able force of iron shamblers (Merdig can con-
  trol up to 28 HD worth of iron shamblers) and
  smoking dead (Chanaw is capable of control-
  ling 56 HD of smoking dead and can create
  and control even more powerful undead
  using create undead, greater create undead
  and her rebuke undead ability) but want to
  make absolutely sure that they have an over-
  whelming force before attacking the nearby
  communities.� 
  THE SOUL FURNACE
  As conceived by Merdig and Chanaw, 
  the soul furnace saps the vitality from living,
  29
  A VILE FURNACE?
  As conceived here, the soul furnace inflicts only Constitution damage, not drain. Thus the
  vitality sapping done by a soul furnace on a living individual is not permanent. 
  This is what makes the engine such an interesting design; while the fact that it draws on
  necromantic powers to power itself is almost universally considered evil, or at a minimum dan-
  gerous, the fact is that nothing says that the soul furnace has to consume even one life. In fact,
  smart “fuel” management would be to have enough individuals on board to allow a rotating sys-
  tem to where each individual is drained to some extent and then given time to recover fully
  before being hooked back into the engine.
  Naturally, one would think that most people would not voluntarily hook themselves to a soul
  furnace, but why not? Is it too high a price to pay for the safety of a mech to be asked to spend
  a few hours hooked into a soul furnace in order to power it?
  Of course if the DM wishes to have the soul furnace be a truly vile design he or she can
  simply have the furnace inflict permanent Constitution drain rather than temporary Constitution
  damage. In this case the “fuel” will obviously have to be replaced on a regular basis (much like
  a steam-powered mech needs to take on coal or wood) and it is doubtful there will be any vol-
  unteers willing to step into the furnace in such circumstances.
  
  intelligent creatures (i.e. humanoids) to power
  itself, transforming a humanoid’s life energy
  into kinetic force. The soul furnace can be
  placed only in steam-powered, clockwork, or
  man-powered mech designs; the soul furnace
  will not work in animated or undead mechs
  since they do not actually have engines in their
  design. 
  Creating a soul furnace requires the Craft
  Wondrous Item feat and must be done by a
  spellcaster of at least 10th level who also pos-
  sesses 10+ ranks in Craft (mechcraft) and has
  access to necromantic spells of at least 5th
  level. A soul furnace increases the base cost
  of a mech or the device it is attached to by
  50% (i.e. a soul furnace for an iron maiden
  costs one-half of its 11,130 gp base cost, or
  5,565 gp).
  As stated previously, the soul furnace
  draws creatures’ life energy to power itself. It
  does this by inflicting Constitution damage on
  creatures attached to the furnace. The amount
  of Constitution points required to power an
  engine through a soul furnace depends on the
  size of what it runs:
  Size
  Daily (24 hour) 
  Constitution Point 
  Requirement
  Medium
  1
  Large
  2
  Huge
  4
  Gargantuan
  6
  Colossal
  10
  Colossal II
  16
  Colossal III
  26
  Colossal IV
  42
  Colossal V
  68
  City-mech A
  110
  City-mech B
  178
  City-mech C
  288
  City-mech D
  466
  City-mech E
  754
  City-mech F
  1,220
  It can be assumed that the average individ-
  ual has a Constitution score of 11. Thus it
  would take around 120 individuals getting
  within an inch of their lives to fuel the largest
  city mech for 24 hours while the pilot of a
  Huge mech would only temporarily sacrifice
  one point of Constitution to power her mech
  for six hours.
  30
  HOW MANY SOUL
  FURNACES ARE THERE?
  In order to limit the soul furnace to this
  one adventure, the DM can work to have
  the Defender destroyed – the soul furnace
  housed within its body completely obliter-
  ated in a battle with the player characters.
  Destroying the Defender won’t be
  enough to keep the soul furnace out of
  future adventures, though. If the player
  characters, once they learn the secret of the
  soul furnace, try to capture Merdig or
  Chanaw in an attempt to steal the secret of
  soul furnaces, a patrol of Stenian mechs
  could come across the action just as the
  player characters are capturing the pair. On
  orders, the Stenian patrol takes charge of
  the situation and arrests Merdig and
  Chanaw. The player characters are thanked
  for their assistance and offered a reward
  and then the two are taken away and never
  heard from again.
  Of course, the DM may like the idea of
  soul furnaces becoming a permanent part
  of his campaign. In such an instance,
  Merdig and Chanaw escape to return
  another day – more powerful and with
  more soul furnace-powered mechs.
  
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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  This version of Rumors & Lies is done under version 1.0a of the Open Game License; version 5.0/4.0 of the d20 System
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  System Reference Document Copyright 2000–2003,
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  The Shardsfall Quest by Joseph Goodman, Copyright
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  Mech Manual,
  by F. Wesley Schneider and Matt
  Sprengeler, Copyright 2004, Goodman Games
  Rumors & Lies by Michael Hammes and Philip Reed,
  Copyright 2005, Ronin Arts, based on material by Goodman
  Games; for more information, see www.goodman-
  games.com, or contact info@goodman-games.com.
  32
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/DragonMech/Dragonmech - Rumors & Lies {Ronin Arts}.pdf