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PLAYER'S BOOKLET
OFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY

MiNuotliab CJuilbs
by Deborah Christian and Kimber Eastland
<BaOoWWW}M^&W&M:&W:5&c5oB:o:&W^o5M^M^ffW

Table of Contents
Adventurer's Guide to the Minrothad Guilds
Minrothad History
Lands of the Minrothad Guilds
Economy of the Minrothad Guilds
Law in the Minrothad Guilds
The Society of the Minrothad Guilds
Tips to Travelers
Beliefs of Minrothad
The Minrothaddan Calendar
The Races of Minrothad
The Guilds of Minrothad
The Caste System
Guild Privileges
Politics in the Minrothad Guilds

Credits:
Design: Deborah Christian, Kimber Eastland
Editing: Steve Winter
Product Manager: Bruce Heard
Cover Artist: Clyde Caldwell
Interior Artist: John Lakey
Graphic Design: Stephanie Tabat, Dave Sutherland
Cartography: Dave Sutherland, Dennis Kauth
Typography: Kimjanke

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3
4
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32

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QuiOe to tl7 MiNHOtliab QuilOs

WelcoMC to tlje
This book contains general knowledge
about the Minrothad Guilds and is for
the use of PC and DM alike. The other
book in this set is for the DM's eyes only.
Minrothad is a nation of islands located
in the Sea of Dread, south of the shores of
the Grand Duchy of Karameikos (see
GAZ 1) and east of the island kingdom of
Ierendi(see GAZ 4).
This nation is a political-economic
combine of various guilds. Some of the
guilds are organized around crafts and
the families that control them; some provide professional services, while others
pursue activities that are covert, military,
or purely political in nature.
The Minrothad Guilds are one of the
most powerful non-military entities in
existence. Due to their wide-ranging
trade network and dominance of commercial shipping, almost anything, legal
or illegal, can be obtained by Minrothad
traders or their agents. The Minrothad
Guilds wield economic and political clout
far out of proportion to the size of their
island nation.
An increased guild presence on the
waterfronts and in the trading houses of
the continent have brought this successful commercial nation much into the
public eye in the last decade. In earlier
times the country was fervently isolationist, forbidding immigration and strictly
controlling travel and trade practices that
brought outsiders to the islands. But this
policy has altered with a change in government, and the Minrothad Guilds have
opened their doors to trade, travel, and
interaction with the folk of other nations.
Curious travelers inquiring about the
Minrothad Guilds can hear interesting
things, depending on whom they ask for
information.

A Sage FKOM SpeculanuM

"Over the sea, east of lerendi and west
of Thyatis, lies the Sea of Dread. The
exact number of islands found there is
unknown, because many are perpetually
surrounded by fog and mists. The people

of the major islands banded together to

form the Minrothad Guilds, the nation
that controls most of the sea trade in the
world today.
"These guilds have built an unsurpassed merchant fleet to carry their exotic
goods to other nations. They are secretive
about their crafts, for few other guildhalls
can compete with the rare and artful
objects exported by the Minrothad
Guilds. But the secret of their trading
success lies in two other, factors. Minrothad maintains strict neutrality with the
nations of the world. This allows them
unrestricted access to major ports, where
they base their merchant agents and
offices.
"The second factor is the Minrothad
merchant-princes: captains and masters
of magic that keep their vessels safe at sea.
No one in his right mind bothers a Minrothad vessel, and no merchant worth his
trade goods offends their buying agents.
A contract with the guilds can be worth a
cargo's weight in gold."

A MiNnotljad Quii&s Dwanf

"Never trust a Glantrian. They be
tight-fisted, blackhearted dastards with
no bone of pity for refugees or them that
be down on their luck. And they lack the
foresight to see how a business deal might
be made. Guildsmen, nowthat story
tells different. We always be calculatin' a
way both sides can benefit. And you can
trust us, for we honor our word once it's
given. Unlike Glantrians."

"Those Minrothad ships are

bewitched! Strange things happen
around themodd winds ablow, schools
of monstrous fishes following alongside,
ships that vanish. Well, no one believes it
until they see it for themselves, and then
it's too late. Even pirates leave them
alone, that's for certain. A merchantprince is a match for a pirate vessel all by
himself. They're not normal people, you
know. I've seen the flotsam myself, after
a battlethere was naught left worth salvaging. I'd steer clear o'them vessels,
were I you."

A MiNKotijad Guilds
"There were oncet a time when halflings
were enslaved by Minrothad tall folk. Big
labor for small diggers, that werebut we
don't ponder that no more. Malf Quickhand freed us, and off we took to Open
Isle. Now we be as heavy-pursed as any other family in the guilds. Business be good,
trade be good, and the tall folk never so
powerful since the Silver Purge.
"The purge? Oh, that were long back a
killing time for humans, cursed as they
were with the were-way. But it be false,
what lerendi tour guides say! The werefolk be long gone from our Isles. Touristfond we be, and you'll catch naught if
you visit Minrothad. Stop your ears to
island-hopper lies from lerendi!"

A "CljyatiaN MencljaNt "Guilds, shmilds. Those Minrothad

upstarts want to create a trade monopoly,
and woe betide the country that depends on
them for shipping the day they decide to
throw their weight around! We tried to
bring culture to their islands when they were
ignorant barbarians, but they didn't see die
advantages an alliance would give them.
They still refuse to ally themselves with us.
Just shows how short-sighted diey are. I only
trade with them if I don't have any choice."

C}uili>s
"It's a bright new day for us, with Oran
Meditor as Guildmaster. One of the seafaring elves he is, whom we call the water
elves, and a great leader. Oran gave us an
open trade policy, gained cooperation
from the halfling and the dwarvish
guilds, brought the family guilds in line .
.. Oh? You don't know our guild system?
"The only important part is that the
guilds were founded in 691 AC, and
great Minrothad became center of cooperative trade ventures. Craftsmanship is
our only demand from our members: our
guilds include halfling, dwarvish,
human, and elvish craftsmen. Guilds are
run by their masters, and they are
directed by the ruling guildmaster, Oran
Meditor. Simple, is it not?"

CJuifce to tl? MiNROtl?at> Quilfcs

, as tolfc
by tl7c Wateu Elves
Water elves are a seafaring race of elves
whom some claim have made their home
among these islands for thousands of
years. Their version of local history is the
one most widely heard by strangers to
Minrothad.
"The sacred Dread Sea Scrolls say that
in the beginning, there was only water,
light, and the immortal Calitha
Starbrow. Calitha looked upon her shimmering sphere and desired that there
should be people there to honor her. She
created the True Ones, or Alfasser;
though men call us water elves today, we
prefer that ancient name by which we
were known.
"The immortal was pleased with her
first and best work and soon made others
to populate the sphere in company with
her true ones. She made the Alfund,
whom we now call wood elves, and after
them the animals: the fish in the seas, the
birds in the skies, and all manner of creatures on the land. Finally Calitha made
lesser beings than the Alfasser and the
Alfund: men, and halflings, and dwarves
last of all. These she sent to teach the
Alfasser patience and to show them what
they could become without the immortal's guidance.
"In time, some of the Alfasser wished

for more power and knowledge than Calitha Starbrow had given them. They
delved into the ways of dark and dangerous knowledge, until we, their more cautious brethren, left them and went to live
separately in lands across the sea. The wisdom of this was proven a millenia later,
when the immortal raged at the evil
works done by the power-hungry Alfasser, and destroyed their homeland and all
the peoples who lived there. She opened
the earth and brought down the skies in
such devastation that only the lands
whence we had emigrated were left. Even
those were torn by the eruptions of her
anger so that they formed islands in the
sea.
"We true ones who survived called the
waters around us the Sea of Dread, for
our fear that Calitha's anger would be
unquenchable. While the immortal
raged, she sent plagues, famines, and
other disasters as tests to see if we, the
remaining Alfasser, would stay true to
her. Many turned away from Calitha in
those days of trial, and one by one she
sank their islands, until only the Alfasser
that exist in Minrothad remained. But we
had proven our worth through the long
challenges, and we have been wellfavored by the immortal ever since her
anger calmed.
"Since that long-past time of terror,
Calitha taught us the craft of seafaring,

and we ourselves turned human magic

into an art for the protection of our vessels. Our wood elf brethren came to us
from over the seas, led by the immortal to
aid us in the crafting of ships and pursuit
of trade.
"We have tolerated the growth of
human cultures on our islands, stamping
out plagues of lycanthropy from among
them and separating their quarrelsome
factions when they insisted on waging
war. We helped the humans to trade
across the seas, traveling far in our artful
ships. Persuaded by Thyatians, foolish
humans indulged in slave trade, and
brought halflings to our shores to serve
them. We helped free the little people
from the yolk of slavery, and welcomed
them into our midst as craftsmen and
equals.
"In later times, we invited dwarvish
craftsmen to join us in the creation of useful and beautiful things. They gladly left
the ungrateful lands of Glantri, and
brought their metal and stoneworking
skills to enrich our guilds.
"With the help of our guildbrothers
who work in the handicrafts, we have led
the Minrothad Guilds on to greatness
among the nations of the world. For this
we are grateful to Calitha Starbrow, who
continues to bless the ventures of the
Alfasser."

HH^

Quifce to tlie MiNROtl?at> Quilfcs

Of t?7

Quil&s
It is recommended that travelers to the
Minrothad Guilds go there either on a
Guild vessel, or accompanied by a Guildcertified navigator or pilot. The routes to
the islands are tricky, and the waters contain hazards of natural or magical origin
best avoided by someone familiar with
the local waterways. Guild vessels bound
for Minrothad or other destinations in the
island chain can be found in almost every
major seaport on the continent.
UNUSUal PljCNOMCNa

It is the unusual phenomena of the seaways that is most quickly apparent to a

voyager to the Minrothad Guilds. These
can make for an interesting and scenic
journey, providing they do not turn into
personal hazards. To ensure that, the caution to travel only with a qualified crew
should be heeded.
Fogs: One of the inexplicable phenomena in these waters are the constant fogs
and mists that surround most of the
islands. Some of this is believed to be
caused by active volcanoes, steaming the
water through sea level vents the year
round. Another cause is thought to be
the meeting of the cold Continental
Sweep winds from the north northwest
and the warm, moist Dragon's Wind
from the south. The only place these two
major fronts meet is in the Sea of Dread
around the Minrothad Isles.
Another cause of the perpetual fogs is
undoubtedly magical in nature, the
result of weather-magic worked by
merchant-princes. Safe navigation of
these waters is almost impossible for seamen who were not raised here or who cannot magically see through the fog.
Waterspouts: In certain seasons, when
the cold and warm air masses of the Continental Sweep and the Dragon's Wind
collide, tornados and waterspouts can
result. Some are also said to be a sideeffect of weather magic worked by
merchant-princes. Since there is so little
land to be threatened by tornados, waterspouts are by far the more common and

unpredictable danger.
A vessel struck by a waterspout can be
reduced to splinters in the water, or lifted
bodily and deposited elsewhere on water
or land. Areas of fog often obscure this
type of hazard, and even in clear and
open water, the speed of movement and
erratic path followed by these watery
whirlwinds make them difficult to avoid.
It is said that merchant-princes have
appropriate magic with which to handle
such a danger, but common sailors and
fishermen must trust to luck and their
sailing skills to avoid them.
Whirlpools: Numerous uncharted
reefs and small islands lie within the territory of the Minrothad Guilds. At times,
when ocean currents and tides flow rapidly between rocks and reefs, whirlpools
may result. As with fogs and waterspouts,
this phenomenon is often caused by magic when encountered in Minrothaddan
waters. This hazard sucks a ship down
until it is torn apart on rocks or submerged beneath the water. Whirlpools
are almost impossible to escape without
the aid of appropriate sea magic.

Pinates
Perhaps more treacherous than natural
phenomena are the pirates who haunt the
sea routes between Minrothad and the
mainland. Always ready to prey on promising cargo vessels, pirates appear like a
scourge out of nowhere, attack their victims, then vanish untraceably into the
mysterious fogs. Merchant-princes have a
better chance than average captains of
dealing with pirates, but not even Minrothad vessels are safe from their predations. It is believed that the seafaring
brigands are lerendi or Thyatian privateers lured to this area by the rich shipping traffic. The guilds are doing their
utmost to eliminate the pirates from
these waters.

The archipelago claimed by the Minrothad Guilds is the area once known as the
Colony Isles. There are six major islands
and numerous smaller ones in this territory. Most are of volcanic origin, while some

of the small atolls are coral growth atop

submerged volcanic rock.
Trader's Island: The first place to be
settled among these islands was Trader's
Island. Trader, as it was called, is the largest island in this group, with two inactive
volcanic peaks, forested mountain ridges,
and palm-covered coastal plains leading
to black sand beaches.
The first town founded on Trader was
Harbortown, tucked away in a sheltered
harbor on the north coast. First settled by
Nithian explorers led by a man named
Minroth, Harbortown is the oldest
human settlement in the islands. The city
of Minrothad was named after the culture
that developed there.
Minrothad, the capital and major trade
city of the guilds, is located on the northeast shore of Trader's Island on the site of
a former Alphatian colony. The city
proper lies a quarter-mile inland from its
bustling seaport and is nestled in the cone
of an ancient, low-lying volcano. The city
is surrounded by a moat over 300 feet
wide, which is filled by the Lithwillow
River before it flows down the dredged
channel to the sea.
Alfeisle: Almost as large as Trader is
Alfeisle, home of the wood and water
elves, where the trade city of Verdon and
the fortified elvish port of Seahome are
located. Verdon, near farmland at the
south end of the island, is the newest of
the ports. It has a system of quays and
mooring bouys designed to handle
shallow-draft shipping along the city's
narrow beachfront. Seahome, the oldest
of the elvish settlements, is located at the
northern end of Alfeisle. The city has an
extensive subterranean lagoon docking
complex, interlinked defenses, and a
dazzling number of mansions and fortified houses.
Blackrock Island: Blackrock Island lies
to the south between Trader's Island and
Alfeisle. It is dominated by Halfpeak, an
active volcano which periodically spews
mud and lava. Very little grows on Blackrock and it is home only to a few fishing
villages at the eastern end, distant from
the volcano.
Fortress Island: Northwest of Trader's
Island is Fortress Island, home of the

CJuiOe to tl?c MiNnotfjad CJuilOs

dwarvish guilds of Minrothad and their
redoubtable city of Stronghold. Stronghold is located at the end of a long, narrow fiord whose cliffs loom menacingly.
The rocky, barren island suits the dwarves
well, for they avoid the dangers of its
active volcano by making their home
inside the cliffs of Fortress.
Open Isle: To the north of Alfeisle lies
Open Isle, so called because the island is
flat and treeless. Its major settlement is
the halfling town of Malfton. The thin
soil and rocky ground severely limits the
vegetation that will grow there, especially
compared to other islands of the Minrothad Guilds. Nevertheless, industrious
halflings have turned the area around
Malfton into a region of carefully tended
gardens, limited orchards, and pasturage. Malfton is the center of halfling
trade and manufacturing enterprises.
Fire Island: Northwest of Open Isle is
Fire Island and Redtop, its notoriously
dangerous volcano. Rocks and hot ash are
sometimes ejected from Redtop for miles
out to sea, and lava flows down the
mountain flanks with great frequency.
The volcanic activity is so treacherous and
unpredictable that the island has been
declared off limits to all shipping traffic.
North Isle: North Isle is the last of the
major Minrothad islands. The fortified
town of Gapton was built as a colony of
refuge for members of the guilds in case
calamity ever strikes the islands. A population with a disproportionate number of
scholars and clerics lives there in the
meantime. The trading activity of North
Isle revolves around supply and warehousing for ships bound to or from the
mainland.

Weattjen
The Minrothad Isles have a temperate
climate and generally predictable weather. The tropical and sub-tropical conditions, with warm winds and periodical
rainy seasons, make these seas almost perfect for a trading and seafaring society.
Dominant trade winds blow from
northwest to southeast through the Isles.
During storm season, this weather pattern brings rain and blustering winds to

the northwest side of the islands first.

Therefore, most popular harbors have an
easterly or southerly exposure.

Native Fiona

FauNa

Vegetation: Mahogany and teak grow

on the hills and highlands of the Minrothad islands. Although they are replanted, the forests have been reduced in size
due to the demands for lumber for export
and ship building. Vast areas of woodland have been cleared of the most valuable trees, and have become overgrown
with shrubbery, taken over by palm trees,
or turned to agricultural purposes.
Fruits, nuts, and edible roots grow in
great variety throughout the islands.
Bananas, coconuts, guava, pineapples
and much more wind up in the marketplaces of Minrothad and on the guilds'
ships for trade. The islanders import
much of their food and rely on trade to
give them the wherewithall to accomplish
this, but a modest agricultural effort provides yams, breadfruit, tomatoes and
similar produce for local consumption.
Wildlife: Birds are numerous on all the
islands but Fortress Isle. Sandpipers scurry along beaches, warblers nest in flowering dogwood, herons and egrets inhabit
remote waterways. Gulls and terns nest
on seaside cliffs, toucans are found in the
highland forests, and a native grouse
called the ulit is a popular food bird.
Small game is scarce and snakes are
rare, but diminutive peccary pigs can be
found throughout the islands and are a
bane to Minrothad 's few farmers. Populations of monkeys confine themselves to
the highland forests, while wild goats and
donkeys escaped from activity stick more
to the lowland valleys. The predators
dangerous to man that have not yet been
hunted out of the islands are limited to
several species of giant lizards, which continue to present a threat to forest travelers
on most of the islands.
Insects: A moderate number of insects
are native to these islands. They are mainly flying, stinging pests, but the most
dangerous insects encountered in Minrothad are the poisonous spiders. These spiders prefer a forest environment, but

sometimes come to cities carried in cargos

of fruits and vegetables.

H/<?/7/aNO HUNTING
As told by human Jerald Aeren, master trapper, Export Guild (associate of
the Merchant Sailor Guild)
Lord High-and-Mighty demanded I
take him on a backwoods jaunt. A
knight from Karameikosyou know
the type. He were upset because he
couldn't get a merchant-prince to
fight a duel, and so he wanted to kill
something else instead. He had the
coin, so I said yes.
I warned him t'were the wrong time
of day to find game. 'And I'll see you
in court if we don't', he answers,
sarcastic-like. So I says to myself, we'll
see how he likes the piglets.
Peccary forage in a herd at times,
hundreds of 'em. They run along, stupid, trampling everything in their
way, not knowing what they're looking for. It's not hard to find 'em. Look
for trampled brush and listen for their
noise.
Sir Knight didn't figure it out when
we circled ahead of the piglets. We dismounted and he got his crossbow
ready. 'Peccary?' he asked. 'I hear
those are good eating.' I agreed and
pointed out where they'd be coming
through the brush.
I neglected to mention how many.
We heard 'em before we saw 'em. I
was up a tree before he fired his bolt at
the first one. Then out came more pigs
and out came his sword. He layed
about like he was in a slaughterhouse,
but it wasn't good enough. Peccaries
shoved him here and yon, almost
knocking him over and tromping him
under. Then he gave up and ran down
the trail, outnumbered and chased by
angry piglets. I about broke my neck,
laughing myself out of that tree.
I took his kill back to the inn for
him. He didn't appreciate it. But I
haven't seen him in court, either.

ECONOMY of tlie MiNtiotfyab QuilDs

The Minrothad Guilds are manufacturers
and service-providers who sell their goods
and services mostly to markets outside of
the Minrothad Isles. In return, they
import cargos of food, raw materials for
their own production needs, and a
diverse quantity of finished goods from
other countries. Their large merchant
fleet is famous in the ports bordering the
Sea of Dread, for guild ships carry both
their own cargos and those of traders from
every major sea and river port on the continent. Minorothad's large speculative
cargo trade has made this nation wealthy.
This successful mercantile combine is
composed of highly stratified guilds
which have carefully-defined fields of
endeavor, and which do not compete
among themselves. Their structure,
goods and services are looked at more
closely under Guilds, but the following
aspects of this economy will be readily
observed by travelers to the Minrothad
Isles.

DoMiNaNce of Sea 'Cuaoe The Minrothad Guilds manufacture a

significant portion of the nonbulky, highquality trade goods which travel by sea,
but they are best known as the primary
source of sea-going cargo carriers in the
lands which border the Sea of Dread.
Even the seafaring merchants of large
empires frequently opt to contract shipping to these traders. Minrothad guildsmen have a reputation for reliability,
sharp but honest dealing, and speedy
transit times. Not least of all, the
merchant-princes who are masters of
Minrothad ships are able to defend their
vessels against the monsters of the sea,
both human and nonhuman, better than
anyone who is not sailing a vessel of war.

VcRsatility IN 'CRafce Minrothad traders either sell their cargos or trade them for other goods,
depending upon their needs or the needs
of the client for whom they are shipping.
If the price is right, guildsmen can
acquire any cargo or sell any goods for
which there is a demand.

Guildsmen are experienced financiers

who carry letters of credit, conduct business on account through their agents in a
port, and are knowledgeable about the
value of cash and trade goods in the places they transact business. These traders
generally accept any gold piece or item of
equivalent value when transacting business, although a service charge is levied if
the currency is not local or if an item will
be difficult to convert to cash.

DoMestic TTRaDe
MoNOpolies
It is not possible for the Minrothad
Guilds to completely monopolize trade
abroad. Most ports have open markets
and though guild traders may dominate
the scene, they still compete with other
merchants.
At home in the Minrothad Isles, however, it is a different story. Outsiders are
now permitted to visit the islands, but
they are not allowed to compete with the
guild mercantile operations that go on
there. Absolutely no professional trading
or selling may be performed by nonMinrothaddans, except directly with the
guild that handles that specific trade
good.
This prohibition is intended to prevent
foreign merchants from sailing in with a
cargo on speculation and selling it to anyone who might want the goods. A trader
with a cargo of iron ore, for example, can
sell only to the manufacturing family
guild that deals in metal ore. Similarly, a
finished product, such as cloth, cannot be
sold directly to retailers, but must be sold
to the guild which monopolizes cloth
trade.
Sometimes more than one guild is a
suitable purchaser for a cargo, but if none
of them are interested in the purchase,
there is no recourse for the foreign merchant. Higher officials are not sympathetic to the merchant's cause, because
they do not care for foreign traders conducting business in Minrothad. When
guildsmen need or want foreign goods,
they purchase a cargo through their buying agents and carry it to Minrothad in
their own ships.

This and other commercial prohibitions are clear-cut (see laws), and newcomers to Minrothad are informed of
these injunctions before they debark.
CURRNC?

Foreign currency, as well as gems and

jewels, are acceptable specie in Minrothad, but a standard 5 percent conversion
charge is added to the price of items paid
for in this way. There is no fee charged for
using local currency. Money changers are
common in every city. They are carefully
regulated by the government and are fairly honest, but their variable rate of
exchange affects the value given for foreign currency.
It is legal to bring Minrothaddan currency into the country, but visitors are not
allowed to take out any in excess of 200
gp value. Local currency follows the
standard system of equivalents for ease of
trade. A crona is one gold piece, a byd is
one electrum, a quert is one silver piece,
and a plen is one copper.

Counts
Minrothad courts fall under the cojurisdiction of the Tutorial Guild and the
local government guild (see Guilds). The
Tutorial Guild tries all major crimes, and
is also called in if there is any doubt about
the extent or nature of the criminal
action. The Tutorial Guild uses all of its
arcane magical powers and devices to discover these answers and the truth is usually found out in such matters.
A trial court consists of a senior guild
member who presides as judge, and a jury
composed of three members from the
accused's guild and two nonguild citizens. If the accused is not a guild member, any sort of guildsmen may sit on his
jury. Bail is unheard of, and the accused
might await trail for up to a month. During that time he is kept in a plain but
clean holding cell. He is fed enough and
treated decently by the constabulary, a
division of the local government security
guild.
During the trial, the judge asks the
questions, and jurers are allowed a period
of questioning as well. Lawyers can participate in the proceedings but are not
required to do so and are not always
present.

Laws aNfc Cniivies

Acts of violence are obviously criminal,
but a surprising number of other activities are closely regulated as well. Ordinances of interest to travelers are pointed
out here; their violation can be considered a criminal act and liable to full prosecution.
Spell Casting: Only merchant-princes
may cast magic freely in the Minrothad
Isles. Anyone else who does so must have
a merchant-prince or other member of
the Tutorial Guild at hand to supervise
the spell casting. Persons in violation of
this
ordinanceeven
unwitting
visitorsare dealt with as described
under Punishments.

Gambling: Travelers are often surprised to learn that most gambling is illegal among the Minrothad Guilds, in spite
of the wealth that moves freely through
their shops and businesses. Games of
chance, like dice or cards, are illegal, as is
gambling on violent events of any type,
such as boxing or cockfighting.
A monthly public lottery run by the
government is the only authorized wagering done in the islands. Tickets are available at money changers and taverns.
Besides the lottery, gambling is permitted
during the Midwinter Festival. At that
time, people can wager up to 100 gp on
sporting events like athletic contests and
dog racing. Persons who are caught gambling in any other ways suffer large fines
as the very least penalty.
Business Transactions: When a traveler
wishes to buy, sell, or do other commercial business in the Minrothad Isles, the
following regulations are important to
know.
1. Magical items may only be sold to
Minrothaddans or to foreigners working
for the government. Price discounts are
forbidden, and they are never sold below
a normal retail price.
2. Adventurers who wish to sell valuables to locals should note that Minrothaddans are allowed to buy any item
brought into the country. However, an
item may never be sold at more than its
normal Minrothad market value. Higher
prices are considered to be profiteering,
and are punishable by imprisonment (see
Punishments). Visitors are forewarned
that the experienced bargainers of the
Minrothad Isles will seldom pay more
than 50 percent of an item's retail value,
or 75 percent if it is extremely rare or
unique.
3. Money paid to a foreigner for an
item or a service rendered must be reported to the local retail tax collector. The
government then levies a tax of 18 percent of the total gp value of the item,
material, or service sold, which is due and
payable by the foreigner who made the
profit. (An 8 percent sales tax is levied
against Minrothaddans.)

4. Magical items sold or services performed in Minrothad are done under the
supervision of a representative of the
Tutorial guild. The guildsman records the
transaction for tax purposes, and guarantees that any magic performed is in keeping with Minrothad Guilds regulations.
The foreigner is then charged a tax of 20
percent, which includes a 2 percent fee
for the Tutorial Guild's services.

"CueasoNOus OffeNses
Treason against the state is the most
reprehensible crime in Minrothad.
Guildsmen resent betrayal of their state,
but even worse, treasonous acts also derail
many complex and subtle intrigues, the
very life-blood of the guilds. Foreigners
involved in plots or actions against the
guilds may be suspected of treason, and
will be tried with the full severity of the
law. A range of sentences are possible for
treason, as described below.
In a similar vein, the Minrothad Guilds
are concerned with their public image
and their reputation, for they trade on
these things as much as on anything else
when they do business. If a guildsman
commits a major crime in another country and publicly disgraces the Minrothad
Guilds, he might be charged with defamation of the guild when he returns
home. If convicted, his punishment is
often more severe than the one inflicted
by the nation where he committed the
crime.

Minrothaddans have been accused of

preoccupation with material goods. At
least it is true that their laws dealing with
possessions and attempts to steal them
are some of the most severe known.
Guildsmen see their laws as a necessary
balance to the unscrupulous who prey on
the hardworking. A righteous and intolerant attitude toward the criminal colors
their legal system and the penalties
received under it.

Law IN tlie MiNROtliab Quilbs

The unforgiving Minrothaddan attitude toward crime is most evident in the
judgements delivered for thievery. Theft
has always been a problem in ports and
trading communities because the quantity of merchandise and number of people
passing through offer so many opportunities for larceny. The penalties for theft
in the Minrothad Guilds are harsh and
explicit, as are the sentences for many
other offenses.
Fines and incarceration are not
unknown punishments, but even they
are taken to extremes. Fines are exorbitant, with the clear intent to strain the
resources of the guilty party. Imprisonment is unpleasant at best.
Punishment for the heinous crime of
treason can extend even to the relatives of
the criminal, depending on how severe
the treasonable action was. A shipping
schedule betrayed to a foreign competitor, for instance, might be punished with
exile for the criminal and anyone else who
knew about it. If, instead, the criminal
helped assassins kill a guild master, the
penalty could be the extermination of the
accused and his entire family.
Foreigners who commit crimes are usually punished more strictly than are
natives. Typical punishments for crimes
committed in the Minrothad Isles or
aboard a guild ship are listed in the sidebar.
Prison: Minrothad dungeons are
among the worst in the world. They are
filthy and the prisoners are fed just
enough to keep them alive. When Ruling
Guildmaster Oran Meditor took office,
he stopped the practice of torture in these
dungeons. But life itself can be torture if
the sentence is very long; people who
have been condemned to 20 years or life
have pleaded to be put to death instead.
Black Seal Warrant: No official condemnation is more uniquely Minrothaddan than the Black Seal Warrant, named
so for the black wax of its official seal. The
warrant is a death decree issued as punishment for the most censured of crimes,
such as assassination or treason. The warrant must be recommended by the court
and endorsed by the ruling guildmaster.
A criminal need not stand trial in person

to receive the Black Seal as his punishment, but can be tried in absentia.
Once the warrant is signed, a gold
piece value is set upon the condemned
criminal as a bounty. This unusual sentence is the Minrothad Guilds' way of
saying, "No matter where you are, we
will eventually find you and execute
you." It also is a license for the Thieves
Guild to travel abroad or hire foreigners
to execute the criminal with impunity
regardless of where he is found.
This warrant is so far-reaching because
of the vital trade connections of the
Minrothad Guilds. A country that offers
refuge to a Black Seal-condemned criminal soon finds that guild ships will carry
no goods to or from that country. If this
measure proves inadequate, the guild
puts similar pressures on the allies of the
recalcitrant country, until it becomes
more economicaland politically
expedientto give up the condemned
criminal. The fugitive finds that there is a
price on his head and most people know
it. He can trust no one and few will shelter him.
Occasionally, in the case of foreign dignitaries or notables, the Black Seal Warrant is not publicly announced, but is
privately issued to the Thieves Guild.
Normally, though, the warrant is posted
publicly in the Minrothad Isles, displayed
on all guild trading vessels, and distributed in foreign ports by Minrothad
agents.

typical SewteNces
Crime: Punishment
Defamation of character: Varies from
time in the stocks to the death penalty, depending on degree of damage.
Tax evasion: Flogging.
Profiteering: Flogging, fine, or both.
Breaking and entering: Blinding.
Theft: Loss of one or both hands.
Purposefully distracting victim during
theft or robbery: Loss of tongue.
Embezzlement from employer, a
guild, or the government: Blinding
and loss of one or both hands.
Swindling,
running confidence
games: Fine of up to 50,000 gp and
imprisonment for up to 20 years.
Sacriligious acts against a church: Fine
and one year in the dungeon.
Theft from a church: As above, plus
confiscation of all property and
exile after release from the
dungeon.
Unauthorized spell-casting: Varies
from small fine (for a harmless spell
cast in ignorance) to the death sentence (for deadly magic).
Kidnaping or molestation: Death by
stoning.
Murder or attempted murder: Death
by hanging.
Assassination or attempted assassination: Death by impalement.
Piracy: At seadeath by drowning
(walking the plank or keelhauling);
In portdeath by hanging.

Quilbs

Society of
"Hoy, now! Craft Row be a. mighty
street, think you not? And you could use a.
guide, I'd guess. I'm the one for you:
Kirana Welkie, apprentice magic dealer.
Guild Corser, if you don't ken the checkmark. Nevermind these packagesI have
'em to deliver, but only to places on Craft
Row. A talking stroll takes me not too far
out of my way. Two quert be a fair fee."

of the known world can be heard in the

Minrothad Guilds. The merchants know
many foreign tongues, and people of every nationality visit these shores. A translator or native speaker of most languages
can be found in the larger cities, and
some Minrothaddan somewhere is bound
to speak whatever odd dialect a traveler
might know.

This polyglot society is a striking combination of peoples, customs, and cultures that have come together in the
cooperative melting pot called the Minrothad Guilds. The dominant culture that
has evolved is a blend of native human,
elvish, halfling, and dwarvish practices.
It is a society given to change and adaptation, constantly incorporating new elements encountered and borrowed by
Minrothad traders abroad.

NaMes

LaNCjuaqes
"We be civilized folk, as you notice.
No barkers, no hawkers. Wares on shop
windows and sidewalk tables, neat-like,
so's you can browse as you walk.
"Yes, that shop keep be talking to you.
He were saying, 'come in and look
around,' not 'go fish in the sea.' The
accent be hard for a new ear to catch.
That were 'fetch on an' scree' in Patois."
The language spoken in Minrothad is
the Minrothad Patois, which mixes elements of the original speech of the
guilds' member races with words taken
from other tongues, old and new. This
colorful language combines archaic references and modern slang, and is constantly changing due to the influx of new
words that traders have picked up.
Minrothad Patois has a sing-song
cadence and sometimes rhymes sentences. The melodic pattern carries over
when Minrothaddans speak other languages, and islanders find it difficult to
lose this accent when speaking foreign
tongues. Although portions of Patois are
comprehensible (though strangely
accented) to native speakers of its major
source languages, it is a difficult language
to become fluent in.
Besides Patois, almost every language

Most names heard in the Minrothad

Guilds consist of a first name and a surname indicating one's craft or occupation. Regardless of race, names
incorporate the wealth of borrowed words
shared in the Minrothad Patois.
Elves and dwarves have drifted considerably from their continental linguistic
roots, especially in their choice of surnames. An elvish weaver may be named
Weafer, and a dwarvish smith, Bellows.
Human names also consist of a first name
and surname, but are less often related to
occupations, and sound like names from
the mainland.

Dness
Fishermen and farmers dress in loose,
light clothes woven of native cottons.
Dyes made from shellfish are popular and
cloth is often colored with purple, crimson, or yellow. These dyes are worth a
small fortune in many mainland countries, but are considered commonplace by
Minrothad natives.
In the cities it is almost impossible to
tell a Minrothaddan by his clothes alone,
because they are likely to come from anywhere. Sophisticated folk indulge their
taste for bright colors and imported
products. Textiles from every mainland
port are available in Minrothad, and a
wilder array of fashion can be seen in no
other country of the world.
Like their language, Minrothad dress is
a pastiche of elements. On any main
street can be seen bright silks, brocaded
linens, brushed velvets and shimmering
satins, elegant boots, high-laced sandals
or soft slippers, elaborate hats and turbans. Lighter materials are prefered

because of the climate, but cool weather

or passing fad brings out woolens and
furs.
Styles change more quickly among the
Minrothad Guilds than in any other
nation, coming and going as rapidly as
shipments of cargo. Continental fashions
are imitated, or their elements recombined in a typically Minrothaddan
ensemble: a brocaded Karameikan doublet, silken Thyatian hose, an lerendistyle cap, boots and belt of Alfheim
tooled leather.

Dietany Habits
Minrothaddans eat four meals a day.
A simple breakfast is followed by dinner shortly after noon, when shops close
up for a two-hour break during mealtime
and the rest period following it. Supper is
the largest meal of the day, eaten in the
evening. If supper is eaten sooner and the
individual is staying up later, he also has
the traditional "evening bread," a light
meal of bread, cheese, fruit, and wine.
Among halflings, this meal is much larger and is always served an hour or two
before bedtime.
Fish is the main source of protein in the
Minrothad Isles. The fishing fleet meets
all domestic needs and even provides a
small export surplus offish and shellfish.
This diet is supplemented with seaweed
and shellfish, native fruits and vegetables, sugar from cane grown by halflings,
and the meat of pigs and game birds.
Goats provide milk products and sometimes meat.
Minrothaddans do not grow staple
crops such as rice or oats in quantity.
Instead, they import large amounts of
grains and other foods from the continent. Specialty foods such as cheeses and
wines are also in demand.

"If you be looking for something and

don't see it, ask a shop keep. They got
mountains more hidden away inside.
These buildings be much larger than they
look, really, with lots of rooms, and courtyards in the elvish ones."

"Ctje Society of ttye

Minrothad farming and fishing villages
use simple, spacious wooden A-frame
huts of one or two rooms. Near the coast
these are framed of wood and covered
with woven palm leaf matting, while
inland the walls are split saplings interwoven with withes and covered with matting.
Wooden buildings also dominate the
construction in the cities. In human
settlements such as Harbortown, slatwalled houses are built slightly above the
ground on posts. Structures have high
ceilings and wide windows that open easily to the outdoors.
Lacking adequate trees to build homes
in, Minrothad elves constructed wooden
buildings with many interconnected
rooms. Adapting the form for ease of
defense, some elvish cities feature blocky,
pueblo-like buildings. Outside they display windowless outer walls reinforced by
masonry, but inside are a maze of connecting rooms leading into enclosed
open-air courtyards.
Halflings favor the burrow-like dwellings of their ancestors, although for business purposes many build raised wooden
houses like their human neighbors.
Except for dwarves, who build with
compacted volcanic rock, only the
wealthy and the government build with
stone in Minrothad. Supplies of useful
quarry stone or clay for bricks are almost
nonexistant on these islands, and such
materials must be imported from the
mainland. City fortifications, bridges,
and the mansions of the rich are generally
made of stone.

Holidays
Minrothaddans pride themselves on
working hard and playing hard. They
take any excuse to have a good time, as
long as essential work has been done or is
caught up. Numerous religious and
national holidays fill the Minrothad
calandar, and it is common practice to
receive time off of work on the day or
afternoon that is holy in an individual's
religious beliefs. These holidays are
described in the Minrothad calendar, and
monthly holy days are explained under

The Religions of Minrothad.

Religious Beliefs
Minrothaddans are rarely fanatic about
their religious beliefs, and talk little
about the philosophies they adhere to.
They are tolerant of the beliefs of foreigners. Whether or not they are religious, most natives wear a holy symbol or
medallion with the mark of their church.
Such an item is considered to bring good
luck and blessings to the individual's
endeavors. Temples are low-key affairs
located in residential areas away from the
hub-bub of visiting foreigners and commercial districts.

Visitous to tl?e MiNnotljaO

Quilbs
"Sorry you can't get price breaks
those be only for guildmembers. But if
you happen to be a range, you might
mention it to an innkeep, and you '11 get a
good room."
There are a great number of foreigners
in Minrothad, traveling on commercial
business or for pleasure. A visitor to the
Isles notices the odd dress, strange languages, and peculiar customs of these
people, but island natives have become
inured to this panorama of variety. Travelers do not attract any particular attention in the cities of the Minrothad
Guilds, no matter how outrageous their
appearance or uncouth their dress. Foreigners are treated with courtesy and
respect, at least as long as there is profit or
good will to be made. There are, however, a few exceptions to these rules.
Spell-casters: Magic is the domain of
the merchant-princes and a few select
members of the Tutorial Guild. Magic
not related to seafaring is unfamiliar to
the masses, and those who practice this
art are figures of intrigue and mystery to
the common Minrothaddan.
Foreigners who are identified as magicusers attract a great deal of attention and
curiousity seekers. A spell-caster might
be singled out by his distinctive dress or
open use of magic. A person who wears a
pentagram on his clothes might be mis10

taken for a magic-user as well, for this

symbol is forbidden in Minrothad to any
but merchant-princes. In either case, he
soon finds himself followed by a gaggle of
inquisitive children, and is a suddenly
popular target of "casual" conversation
with passing adults.
Thieves: Anyone with the temerity to
identify himself as a thief is at first disbelieved. If he insists it is true, or has proven
it by some action, Minrothaddans react
with horror and hatred. The penalties for
thievery are quite unforgiving, and anyone who is clearly a shady character is
watched wherever he goes.
CUStOMS

"Oh, no! That be a dock-party at Slipperyfoot's shop, where I take this last
package. My regrets, but I leave you here.
Once in that crowd, I may not get out
again. Enjoy the Rowand if you want to
join the dock-party, stand on the street
outside the shop. Belike the party will
come to you!"
It is not proper to quiz Minrothaddans
about guild politics or problems. Natives
do not discuss these matters with outsiders, and take offense at these questions.
It is customary to boast about a guild's
good points while giving a sales pitch,
and a buyer hears this if he asks about a
product or service. A sale concluded after
a bargaining session is toasted with a
drink of imported brandy, kept by the
shop keeper for just such occasions. Customers who buy expensive items might
be invited to dinner by the merchant.
Ships come and go in Minrothad ports
all the time. The more important arrivals
and departures are observed with a
"docking party," sponsored by a guild or
ship master. Docking parties are held in
the factor's offices, a nearby warehouse,
or elsewhere in town away from the vessel
and busy dock.
Most of the crew attends these raucus
events, which sweep up passersby and
sometimes migrate into the streets. Similar celebrations are held for the launching
of new ships. Foreigners invited to such
events are specially privileged.

yJ^wWM-OC-M-WB-O-B^o-Q-n-M-fMHWW

M-B-0-B-H-B-H-B-B-B-M-W

Society of ttye Mi
Tips to
From SL tailor who serves the nobility of
Specularum:
"There's no greater clothes-horse than
a Minrothaddan. Take along a new-style
belt buckle or a robe of a new cut and
you'll have a great bargaining tool. You
could give it away as a giftand very flattered the recipient will beor trade it for
what you want to buy. Whatever you take
will have a terrific value because it'll be so
novel. But the item better be something
that's only just come out, or it will already
be in Minrothad!"
From an Alfheim elf:
"Be careful. Minrothad elves resemble
shadowelves too closely for it to be a coincidence. They're every bit as full of intrique and plots, that's for sure, and their
sea magic makes them almost as powerful
as elf wizards. I don't think they can be
trusted very far."

From a halfling merchant from the Five

Shires:
"If you don't have the patience for bargaining, you'll pay full price for everything,
and that can be pretty expensive in the
islands. Of course, retail prices are fixed in
the shops, and you can't argue with those,
but other things are very negotiable: the
cost of dinner or lodgings, the price of passage on a ship or the cost of its cargo, even
wages for nonguild work. Bargaining's a
fine art with guildsmen. They're disappointed if you don't dicker."
From a Karameikos knight:
"Don't bother to pick a fight with a
Minrothaddan. They laugh in your face
and say they'll see you in a court of law.
Even the merchant-princes lack the honor
to defend themselves with honorable
combat. They threaten with law suits or
resort to magic. They're cowards, all!"
From a wizard of Vestland:
"Never refuse a social invitation in

TI

Minrothad! That's where the real business is done: at dinner parties, on holiday
get-togethers, or after work in the taverns. If you're looking for work, or want
to buy or sell something, that's the time
to make the best connections. And the
best way to get invited is to make an
expensive purchase. If it's the merchant's
biggest sale of the day, the merchant will
take you out after work for a drink or dinner, and then you can really get down to
business."
From a Thyatian thief:
"If you get a job there, don't expect
many days off, unless you convert to one
of their religions. Augrism gives the most
days off, that's the one I'd look at. And if
you're not a guild member, stay clear of
guild business! I was in prison there,
charged with treasonme!because I
carried a message from a guild master to
a, shall we say, unscrupulous guildsman
that I knew. Had something to do with an
assassination plot, it turned out. I was
lucky to get out of there alive."

Beliefs of
Minrothad religions and philosophies
reflect the country's hardworking practicality, and have even been reinterpreted
to accomodate the modern commercial
bent of Minrothaddans. These ethical
outlooks are rationalized as being similar
to the purpose and goals of the Minrothad Guilds, even where that was not
originally the case.

Meaning: The Ocean Path.

Adherents: Predominantly water elves.
Alignment: Neutral.
Holy Days: Full moon. Believers take a
full day off work.
Holy Symbol: Pearl in mother-of-pearl.
This philosophy honors Calitha
Starbrow, a water elf from ancient times
who ascended to immortality in the
sphere of Time. She is especially fond of
the water. She taught water elves the art
of seafaring and led them to their home
in Minrothad.
Adherents of Elendaen believe the
ocean is the cradle of all life, for even
trees thrive on rain from storms that form
over the sea. Elendaen followers desire to
exploit the land and sea wisely so they
may continue to prosper.
Spells affecting the sea are granted to
keepers and other followers of the Ocean
Path. The Alfasser clan relic is central to
these beliefs, but is a secret matter not
spoken about with outsiders. Water elf
characters may read Secrets of the Water
Elves in the DM's book to learn more
about these private clan matters.
Keepers and others dedicated to Elendaen wear only garments and accessories
derived from products of the sea.
DaiNROUW

Meaning: The Forest Way.

Adherents: Predominantly wood elves.
Alignment: Neutral.
Holy Days: New moon. Adherents take a
full day off work.
Holy Symbol: Oak leaf.
Dainrouw was inspired by Ordana, an
elf who, like Calitha Starbrow, ascended

to immortality in the sphere of Time.

Those who honor this immortal call her
"Forest Mother," and know that she
favors trees and growing things.
Forest elves learned the craft of woodworking from this immortal who legend
says revealed a homeland for them in the
Minrothad Isles.
Ordana is an older and greater immortal than Calitha Starbrow, although her
followers have been scattered in the elvish
migrations of olden times and her name
has faded from the memory of most. The
Forest Mother gladly embraces any followers, and has granted clerical spell abilities to the few humans who have
converted to the Forest Way.
The clan relic of the wood elves has a
connection with this immortal, but, as
with the Alfasser, is not discussed with
outsiders. Wood elf characters may read
the Secrets of the Wood Elves in the DM's
book to learn more about this relic.
Clerics, keepers, and others seriously
dedicated to the Forest Way wear only
garments and accessories made of wool,
cotton, or leather. The favorite weapon of
these clerics is a hardwood or ironwood
club, which is +1 to hit because it is
carved to a perfect balance and fit in the
individual's hand.
AUQRiSM
Meaning: Named after visionary dwarf,
Wildeye Auger.
Adherents: Dwarves and some humans.
Alignment: Lawful.
Holy Days: First day of every week. Worshippers take the afternoon off.
Holy Symbol: Medallion depicting two
faceless, staring eyes.
Wildeye Auger was a cleric and a follower of the immortal Kagyar, creator of the
dwarvish race (see GAZ 6, Dwarves of
Rockhome). Through visions, Auger
learned of immortals who watched over
dwarvish craftsmen and took special interest in their labor. Auger never glimpsed
those immortals nor learned their names.
There are 12 watchers in all, the foremost of which are the smith, the miner,
and the stonecarver. They rarely interfere

12

with mortals, but keep a close eye on

craftsmen.
Augrism exhorts its followers to perform their best at all times. Members of
this church can be excommunicated for
failing to live up to craft or guild standards. The church requires a 10 percent
tithe of its members' annual income.
Clerics of this religion wear simple garments in drab colors. Their heads are
shaved in a stripe down the middle of the
skull. Their favorite weapon is the stone
hammer, which can shatter a metal weapon on a natural roll of 20.

Meaning: Named after Minroth, the

Nithian human who colonized the
islands.
Adherents: Humans and some halflings.
Alignment: Lawful.
Holy Days: Three annnual holidays
described below. Worshipers have each of
these days off.
Holy Symbol: A four-feathered arrow
symbolizing the arrow fired by Minroth
with inhuman accuracy.
Minroth, a Nithian from the ancient
empire, was the agent of an immortal
who revealed that Minroth would find
the secrets of earthly happiness in the Sea
of Dread. The human led many of his
countrymen into the sea and settled Trader's Island which they found there.
Followers of Minrothism believe that
the Minrothad Isles are a divine location
and sacred ground. Here the faithful
must live in peace and occupy themselves
with useful work. This is the fastestgrowing religion in Minrothad, and is
embraced by many nonhumans.
Minroth disappeared from Trader's
Island and is expected to return one day.
The holy days of Minrothism start with
Onmun 1st, commemorating the expectation of Minroth 's return during the
year. Sagmun 10th marks Minroth 's
birthday, and Decmun 1st is the anniversary of his disappearance.
Clerics of this religion may wear, eat,
and use only items which originate in
Minrothad. Their weapon is the mace.

MiNROtrjabOaN CaleNbau
Minrothad uses the standard Thyatian
calendar for external trade purposes, but
employs one of native invention for local
time accounting. This calendar, called
the Verdier calendar after its inventor,
consists of 336 days a year. The year is
divided into eleven 30-day months and a
special midwinter week. Each Minrothad
week consists of six days, with a total of
five weeks in a month.
The native word for day is tok. The
word for month is mua. The week begins
with Ontok, then proceeds through
Totok, Dreitok, Firtok, Birtok, and ends
with Sagtok.
The calendar shown here is for the year
1000 AC. However, Minrothad dates are
calculated from the year of Verdier's
death, making the current date 300 VR
(for Verdier Reckoning). The lunar phases shown on this calandar move back two
days in each subsequent year, although
the holidays and special events remain
the same.

D-ryM^VB-Mfl-O-(H^

Holidays are guild-sponsored days off.

All work stops throughout Minrothad for
carnivals, bazaars, and merriment. Otherwise, people work every day unless they
have a religious holiday off (see
Religions).
Special Holidays are national holidays
sponsored by the government. They are
like normal holidays but even more festive and usually mark some special event
in the history of Minrothad.
Onmun (first month): A cold, midwinter month. The 1st marks the beginning of the calendar. There are no special
holidays in the month.
Tomun (second month): The cold continues through most of the month, then
starts to drop off in the last week.
Tomun 8th is celebrated as the Feast of
the Silver Purge, when all the vampires and
lycanthropes were thought to have been
purged from Minrothad. People celebrate
by telling scary stories and having a big feast
to thank their deities for sparing them the
evils of lycanthropy and vampirism. It also
gives people a chance to use up winter provisions and foodstuffs that have been saved
for this special occasion. There was a second
outbreak of lycanthropy in 280 VR; since
that time, these celebrations have been
held exclusively indoors with one's immediate family.
Dreimun (third month): Cold winds still
blow but the temperature begins to warm

up during this month. It is dangerous to

sail during this period because of very choppy seas. There are no special holidays.
Firmun (fourth month): Warm weather returns as the rains come in force. Electrical storms are quite common.
Firmun 4th is the newest special holiday on the calendar. It is Merchant-Prince
Day, a day for people to revel in the
marvels of Minrothad magic. It is always
held outside and usually in the rain. Even
with electrical storms the celebrations go
on for the chance to see merchant-princes
control the lightning, forming it into
dazzling fireworks displays.
A custom among the people at this
time is to wear a favorite older suit of
clothes, get it soaking wet, then throw it
away in the streets the next morning
before the sun rises. Roads are strewn
with brightly colored garments when the
sun comes up and the children love to go
outside and collect them, for the revelers
have left little treats and gifts in them for
the boys and girls. The children are
allowed to keep the costumes to play
"grown-up" in, until the following year's
Merchant-Prince Day when they will be
thrown away for good.
Birmun (fifth month): The month of
full spring and sunshine when everything
is newly green. Birmun is the prettiest
month in the first half of the year. The
ships now start sailing in earnest and
many of the Merchant Sailors Guildsmen
will not be back until winter sets in again.
Birmun 19 is a special holiday celebrating the founding of the city and guilds of

14

Minrothad. It is called, appropriately

enough, Minrothad Day and is a day of
great pride among the populace. Huge
picnics are held for the population at the
expense of the government. Every official
of every guild of any import at all makes a
speech on this day. It is also the day elections are held and promotions made to the
senior ranks of the guilds. Political
appointments by members of the sixth
caste are officially made on this day and
any new guild members are inducted with
ceremony.
Minrothad Day is celebrated both day
and night by ship parades. During the
day, fishing boats and barges are decorated
with flowers, paintings, and other decorations to represent scenes from Minrothad's
past. At night, ocean-going ships are hung
with lanterns or set magically alight. Then
they sail along the beaches and waterfronts
of the cities so everyone can ooh and aah to
their heart's delight.
Sagmun (sixth month): This pleasant
month is one of the hardest working
months of the year for all guild members,
who try to complete as many projects as
possible in time for next month's tax
assessment. There is no time for special
holidays in this month and even the normal religious holidays are more subdued
than usual.
Sebmun (seventh month): The weather
starts turning quite hot by this time and
the people spend most of their time outdoors if at all possible. Inclement weather
also increases during this month, usually
in the form of horrible thunderstorms or
hurricanes. The 15th of Sebmun is actually two special holidays in one. The 14th
is technically a work day, but no one
works. They just stand around and watch
as the Minrothad tax assessments for businesses and guilds are performed this day.
The taxing process and formula are incredibly complex affairs, with one result being
that if a guild has a lot of unsold merchandise on hand, its taxes are lower. This
means that if the guild had a very good
year, the last month and a half have been
especially difficult on its members as they
try to produce surplus merchandise in
order to lower the guild's taxes.
This diligence is completely relaxed on

CaleNban
the 15th, called All's Reckless Day. No
one works or even sells anything, they just
play and celebrate, often in a lascivious
manner. The day is spent in athletic
events, eating or drinking contests, and
shows of martial expertise, which only the
most daring participants enter. Animal
costumes and weird masks are worn that
night as the citizenry of every village and
town celebrates in the streets into the wee
hours of the morning. Morals absolutely
collapse around this time; many an unexpected child was conceived on All's Reckless Eve.
The 16th is a day of work, but it is a day
of absolute quiet as laid down by the law.
A family with noisy pets or children can
be fined as much as 100 gp for disturbing
the peace. The day is usually spent cleaning the shops, going over the books, and
nursing a headache the size of the city of
Minrothad.
Oxmun (eighth month): This month is
the hottest for Minrothad and most people are driven into the shade or to the
shores for cool breezes. It is the month of
lowest productivity in the islands, but of
the greatest tourist trade. No one would
bother coming out for a special holiday,
so none are held.
Nomun (ninth month): This month is
the start of fall and is quite peaceful. It is
a very hard work month for guild members as they try to catch up for the lost
time in Oxmun. Nomun 11th is the last
special holiday until the huge Midwinter
festival. It is called Bask Day, and is spent
basking in the sun and being inactive. It
is also a day of fasting, to remind people
to work harder in the days to come so that
food can be purchased for the winter
months and people will not go hungry.
The first of the far-ranging trading vessels
return on or about Bask Day, as do
numerous foreign trading vessels. This is
because it is the only day when foreigners
can sell their merchandise, mostly food,
without paying the stiff Minrothaddan
tariffs. Most families spend a lot of their
savings and stock up for winter on this
day.
Decmun (tenth month): This month is
spent by most of the people doing chores
preparing for winter: preserving foods,

repairing roofs, getting returned ships

ready for winter, cleaning and closing up
the guild halls against the weather, etc.
The last of the returning ships come in
during this month.
Elfrnun (eleventh month): The final
full month of the year sees the return of
winter. Sometimes very late ships will
return in the first week of this month, but
after that it is too dangerous to cross the
seas. Any Minrothaddan ship not yet
returned will most likely go to winter
quarters at some foreign port, though
this can be very expensive. The wind is
horrible during this time of year and people begin dressing much more warmly,
though still fashionably. The guilds work
hard during this month, first to make up
for the time they expect to lose to Midwinter Festival, and second to keep everyone's mind off those ships that are not yet
returned.
Midwinter Festival: This entire week
consists of special holidays. It is a time
when all of the guilds most closely associated with the racial holidays put on their
very best shows and feasts. Decorations
and traditions abound during Mitwok.
Pineapples are displayed over doorways
everywhere, surrounded by leaves from
the sugar cane. This is believed to bring
good luck and a fruitful upcoming year to
the residents inside.
Miniature palms are always displayed
inside a house and larger ones inside the
guild halls and government buildings.
From these palms, tiny candle lanterns
are hung and lit every night as a symbol
of lighting the way home for lost sailors or
seaman away from home for the holidays.
Since Oran Meditor has been in power as
ruling guildmaster, the gifts given during
these festivals, especially those for the
children, are gaily wrapped in scarves and
placed under the tree in hopes of enticing
the spirits of sailors lost at sea to come
home to their loved ones.
Palm wreaths are fashioned and hung
in the windows and on walls as a traditional charm against harm by nature's
forces in the upcoming year. And, finally,
tiny bells are hung from belts, hats,
shoes, and doorways to add to the festive
mood.

Mitwok 1st is celebrated as Water

Elves' Day. The 2d is Forest Elves' Day.
The 3d is Humans' Day. The 4th is Halflings' Day, and the 5th is Dwarves' Day.
Gift-giving is rampant at this time of
year. On each day, that specific race gives
presents to each other and receives
presents from friends of different races
just for being a dwarf, elf, etc. Many stirring speeches are made about the joys of
being a halfling, the wonders of being a
human, and so on, but always in good
taste and rarely with any racial slurs
toward the other peoples of Minrothad. It
is a time for being together with one's
family and guild and thanking one's deities for the myriad of blessings bestowed
upon all Minrothaddans.
The last day of the Midwinter Festival,
Mitwok 6th, is the second-newest special
holiday. It is called Meditor Day. It originally celebrated the position of ruling
guildmaster of Minrothad, but under
Oran has been expanded to include the
political guilds as well. Originally it was a
time for people to thank the family of
Meditor for working so hard in government service all year round. This was
done by lavishing gifts on the family and
the palace. But in his first year as ruling
guildmaster, Oran put a stop to that. He
realized that it was only an official bribery
day founded and sanctioned by the family guild leaders. He insisted that the
money be spent on Minrothad 's children
instead.
The day now has three phases of celebration. The first is the family and guild
celebration in the morning, including
gift exchanges. The second is the afternoon parade of citizens to serenade favorite locals who work for political guilds as a
way of saying "thank you." If the political
guild members are particularly effective
in their posts, they may receive small gifts
from the citizens and /or bonus money
from the master treasurer. The third part
of the celebration is the evening ritual of
taking down the Mitwok decorations and
having a very late feast to celebrate the
passing of the old year. This meal is traditionally spent with someone outside of
one's guild or family, and presents are
often exchanged at this time too.

Races of
The racial groups of the Minrothad
Guilds remain distinctive within the larger society, but their customs differ from
those of their continental cousins. Each
group has borrowed significantly from
the others, and in the case of the water
elves has evolved an entirely new life-style
from that which their race had previously
known. These groups and their unique
aspects are described here.

Elves
The most populous race in the Minrothad Guilds is elves. Minrothad elves are
divided into two groups: the so-called
water elves, and the wood elves. These
names are descriptive of the habitat they
prefer to live near, and reflects the nature
of the guild crafts these people pursue.

Wood Elves
Wood elves are also called forest elves
in Minrothad Patois. The terms are synonymous and refer exclusively to the
forest-dwelling elves of these islands who
work wood and other products of the
earth.
Appearance: Wood elves have hair
ranging in color from blond to brown,
with green or hazel eyes. Their features
bear a distant resemblance to the elves of
Alfheim.
Behavior: These elves are without a
doubt more "serious-minded" than their
mainland cousins. They are interested in
actively practicing their handicrafts, and
are more inclined than most elves to stick
with long-term projects.
Wood elves throw themselves fully into
whatever activity they have chosen to pursue. If it is woodworking, for example,
they set a goal, then labor tirelessly for
months or years to achieve it. A typical
goal might be to become a master woodcarver, or to perfect a new color-fast dye
for cloth.
When their work is complete, these
elves abandon themselves to the pursuit
of pleasure with as much dedication as
they applied to their work. Although an
elf might labor almost continuously for a
year or more, he is then ready to take a

break that, in turn, may last months or

years. Wood elves "on vacation" are
encountered outside of Alfeisle, and
those with years of free time even journey
to the mainland seeking fun and adventure before they return to work.
Guild and Clan: Minrothad wood elves
belong to Guild Verdier, which is named
for a wood-elf clan of ancient distinction.
Guild Verdier handles wood and
products of the earth.
Old-elvish clan names have long since
gone by the wayside under the impact of
guild influences and the Minrothad language. Wood elves now use names adopted from Patois which are descriptive of
the craft each clan has specialized in. The
most influential clans of Guild Verdier
are Clan Forster, Clan Wraight, and Clan
Shuter. Other clan names can be seen on
the Guild Verdier organization chart.
Skills: All wood elves have the skill of
Climbing. Each also has one handicraft
skill appropriate to the craft of the clan to
which he belongs; those skills are further
described under Guilds. Skills are based
on the following attributes:
Bowyer: Intelligence
Building Construction: Intelligence
Cabenetmaking: Intelligence
Canvasmaking: Intelligence
Climbing: Dexterity
Clothier: Intelligence
Cooper: Intelligence
Fletching: Intelligence
Machine Making: Intelligence
Ropemaking: Dexterity
Spinning: Dexterity
Toolmaking: Intelligence
Tree-cutting: Intelligence
Weaving: Dexterity
Wheelwright: Intelligence
Woodworking: Intelligence

Waten Elves
The water elves have formed a more
distinctive sub-culture than their wood
elf brethren, and are recognized as a
group separate from the mainstream
elvish race. In this regard, they are similar
to the shadowelves of the Broken Lands,
to whom they bear a physical resem-

16

blance that many elves find unsettling.

Appearance: Water elves are towedheaded or have light blond hair that
bleaches almost white in the sun. Their
eyes are blue-gray and their complexions
are pale in spite of constant exposure to
weather and sun. They have a faint
resemblance to the Alfheim elves, but
look even more like shadowelves because
of their coloration.
Behavior: A water elf s first love is the
sea. He is fascinated by its ever-changing
moods and excited by the challenges it
constantly presents to the seafarer. His
curiousity is piqued by its watery mysteries; a water elf loves to travel on the
ocean and learn about the creatures in it,
and often masters magic which deals specifically with the sea and the weather.
Water elves were the first inhabitants
of the Minrothad Isles to explore the local
waters thoroughly. They were the first to
develop moveable rigging on sailing craft
so that a vessel could sail close to the wind
and maneuver with ease. They continue
to innovate and improve their sailing vessels, giving the merchant fleet of the
Minrothad Guilds its justly-deserved reputation as the finest and swiftest in the
known world.
This avid interest in the ocean and ways
to travel upon it have made the water
elves one of the driving forces of the
Minrothad Guilds. It was their seafaring
knowledge and wanderlust combined
with the human interest in trade that
enabled the Minrothad Guilds to expand
and dominate sea-going commerce.
Always anxious to travel, water elves
are excited by new sights, new lands, and
new prospects for trade. They are happy
to arrive at a destination, and are equally
happy to leave it for some place new, providing the traveling is done by sea or river. More than half of the Minrothad
traders encountered in continental ports
are water elves, as are many of the
merchant-prince ship captains, but these
elves do not care to be factors or guild
representatives permanently posted in a
foreign city.

Races of
Special Abilities
In addition to standard elvish abilities,
water elves have some special ones which
set them apart them from other races of
elves.
Direction Sense. A water elf has a 75
percent chance of correctly sensing compass directions at all times. This innate
sense works only outdoors, not underground, but is extremely useful on overcast days or during fogs and darkness at
sea. It can be used once per day.
Navigation Sense. Similar to direction
sense, this enables a water elf to know in
what direction a destination lies in relation to his current position, providing he
has been to that place at least once
before. This ability is accurate 75 percent
of the time. It can be used once per destination. For this reason it is said that once
a water elf has been to a port, he can
always find his way back again.
Guild and Clan: Water elves are members of one of the clans of Guild Elsan,
named for a family of leading water elves.
The guild deals with things pertaining to
ships and seafaring.
Water elf names, like those of the wood
elves, do not sound particularly elvish,
but they do not follow the general Minrothad custom of describing a craft. Leading water elf clans are Clan Kelar and
Clan Manre. Other clan names can be
seen in the guild organization chart.
Skills: All water elves have the skill of
Boat Sailing, which is the ability to sail
boats and does not apply to ships. The
individual may be familiar with the principles of maneuvering ships, but is not
automatically skilled in doing so.
Each water elf also has one craft skill
appropriate to the craft of the clan to
which he belongs; those skills are further
described under Guilds. Skills are based
on the following attributes:

Boat Sailing: Intelligence

Harpooning: Dexterity
Keelmaking: Intelligence
Mastmaking: Intelligence
Netmaking: Dexterity
Piloting: Intelligence
Rigging: Intelligence
Shellworking: Intelligence
Ship Sailing: Intelligence
Tacklemaking: Intelligence
Varnishing: Intelligence
HUMaNS

Humans are a minority race in the

Minrothad Guilds, but the positions they
occupy speak for their ambitions and
mastery of skills. Descended from
Nithian stock, these islanders were once
content with a pastoral existence as fishermen until water elf ships gave them the
advantage they needed to pursue trade
and profits. They have done so successfully ever since.
Appearance: Traders have often
brought back wives from foreign ports,
and thus introduced a variety of bloodlines and appearances among Minrothad
natives. "Vet, the majority of Minrothad
humans have wavy brown or black hair,
green or brown eyes, and a fair complexion that darkens slowly in the sun. A
minority are red-heads, resembling the
Alphatians who visited these islands in
ancient times.
Behavior: Minrothad humans are
inquisitive and energetic. They love
interaction with strangers and the challenge of working out an equitable deal in
which each party benefits. They can be
fast talkers who are sometimes openly
quarrelsome, but serious anger finds its
outlet in subtle intrigue and convoluted
plots for revenge.

17

Races of
These Minrothaddans enjoy innovation in business methods and constantly
search out untapped markets to develop.
They are hard workers who expect appropriate rewards for their efforts. They are
hurt and feel cheated if a special effort
goes unnoticed, and are themselves generous with praise and thanks.
Minrothad humans have a reputation
for honesty, especially in business matters. Their ethics, however, are sometimes
called into question: at one time they
were persuaded to trade in slaves on the
heels of a Thyatian war, and many mainlanders have never forgotten this. However, most factors and buyers in foreign
countries are Minrothad humans, and
they find that that part of their country's
past has little impact on current business
dealings.
Guild and Clan: Most humans are
members of Guild Corser, which handles
selected rareties and food. The guild
encompasses many races besides humans;
specific clans do not monopolize any one
aspect of it.
Human names come from a combination of ancient Nithian and Alphatian
roots, with a large admixture of names
from the continent. They rarely indicate
guild ties or occupational specialties, and
can sound like names from anywhere on
the mainland. Typical human names can
be seen in the guild organization chart.
Skills: Humans in Minrothad have
either one of two skills. The skill of Bar-

gaining is the ability to get the best possible price for goods, services, or
information. The skill of Appraisal is the
ability to figure out what something is
worth.
If two people appraise an item, the one
who wins by the greater margin assesses
its value with greater accuracy. If two people with bargaining skill use it on each
other, whoever makes the best roll wins.
Penalties may be awarded to either character to reflect difficulties in the bargain
to be made. This skill is primarily used for
quick bargaining with NPCs.
Skills commonly available to the
humans of Guild Corser and the abilities
they are based on are given here. The
skills are further explained under Guilds.
Animal Training: Intelligence
Appraisal: Intelligence
Bargaining: Intelligence
Brewing: Intelligence
Pipe Making: Dexterity

HalfliNQS
Brought to Minrothad by slave-trading
humans, halflings have long since won
their freedom and have put their
unpleasant past completely out of their
minds. Adopting mercantile habits and
even religious beliefs from their former
masters, the natural industry of the halflings has enabled them to participate in
the guilds as prosperous full members.
Appearance: Minrothad halflings have
curly red or sandy-brown hair, and blue
or brown eyes. Some become quite tan in
the constant Minrothad sun.
Behavior: Minrothad halflings work
with more zeal than their cousins of the
Five Shires, a result of the sudden contrast between working for a slave master
and working for one's self. These halflings reap the fruit of their own labors;
they regard it as an added bonus that they
also see the results in increased income
and luxury goods.
To a Minrothad halfling's mind, other
guilds' members either work too much or
too little. Humans seldom take time off,
dwarves work at a single project for years,
and elves take a two-year hiatus and call it

a break. The halflings, however, know

how to pace themselves. They rise at an
hour neither too later nor too early; they
work until they are hungry, break for a
mealeither once or several times,
depending how famished they become
then return to work some more. They do
not fret about labor during leisure time,
or spend too much work time planning
for their leisure. Halflings are as proud of
this happy medium in their work lives as
they are of the goods they craft.
Guild and Clan: Most halflings are
members of Guild Quickhand, named
for the halfling who freed the slaves. The
guild handles leather, basic crafts, and
fuels.
Halfling names follow the general
Minrothad custom of describing a craft.
Leading halfling families bear the names
Nimblefingers or Goldenhair. Other
family names can be seen in the guild
organization chart.
Skills: All halflings have skill in Farming. Other skills common to Guild
Quickhand are given here, along with the
abilities they are based on. Where necessary, crafts are further explained under
Guilds.
Basketweaver: Dexterity
Charcoal Maker: Intelligence
Cobbler: Intelligence
Farming: Intelligence
Furrier: Intelligence
Glassblower: Dexterity
Hornmaker: Dexterity
Leather Armorer: Intelligence
Oil Maker: Intelligence
Potter: Dexterity
Saddlemaker: Intelligence

Dwaiwes
The forefathers of these dwarves left
Rockhome and migrated to Glantri,
where they found no welcome for their
large numbers. Minrothad traders recognized the wealth of skilled craftsmen in
this group of dwarves and invited them to
emigrate and join the Minrothad Guilds.
The dwarves agreed, and have dominated
metal and stone working in the guilds
ever since.

Races of
Appearance: Minrothad dwarves keep
their dark brown hair and beards shorter
than the dwarvish norm because of the
hot climate in which they live. Their eyes
are brown or amber, and they are of stockier build than most of their continental
cousins.
Behavior: These dwarves enjoy the
freedom to pursue their handicrafts with
no distraction. They care for trading less
than most folk of the guilds and prefer to
leave the sales aspect of their business to
others.
An unexpected benefit of their move
to Minrothad was the chance to tunnel
and explore in previously untouched volcanic rock. With their pragmatic turn of
mind, these dwarves are challenged and
delighted to come up with new building
compounds, unusual tools and special
manufacturing processes tailored for their
island environment.
Dwarves are the least involved in guild
intrigues of any Minrothad group. They
consider most of the island politics to be
foolishness that will pass with time. As a
group they become angered only when
politics interferes with their work for
some reason.
Individuals are touchy about unfinished work, refusing to show or talk about
items that are not yet ready for presentation. These dwarves are the most indifferent bargainers in Minrothad, setting
what they believe to be a fair price and
standing by it without a word of debate.
Guild and Clan: Most dwarves are
members of Guild Hammer, named for
the Hammer clan which led the exodus to
Minrothad. The guild does crafts which
deal with metal and stone.
Minrothad dwarves no longer use their
names from Rockhome, but have taken
craft-related names like other guildsmen.
Leading clans are Clan Stronghold, Clan
Duger, and Clan Hewer. Other common
clan names can be see in the guild organization chart.
Skills: All Minrothad dwarves have the
skill of Appraisal (see Humans, above).
Other skills common to Guild Hammer
are given here, along with the abilities
they are based on. Where necessary, crafts
are further explained under Guilds.

Appraisal: Intelligence
Armorer: Intelligence
Blacksmithing: Intelligence
Engineering: Intelligence
Jeweler: Intelligence
Masonry: Intelligence
Mining: Intelligence
Stonecutting: Intelligence
Trap Building: Intelligence
Weapon Smithing: Intelligence

Skills
Characters might have a variety of
background skills that are not dealt
with in the rule books. Each such skill
is based on one of the character's abilities (Strength, Intelligence, Wisom,
Dextierity, Constitution, or Charisma).

Be<j/NNr/N<7 Skills
Beginning Minrothad characters
know one skill in which their clan and
guild specializes, one racial skill as
described for that race, and may select
one additional skill. If a character's
Intelligence is 13 to 15, he may select
two additional skills rather than one;
with an Intelligence of 16 to 17, three
extra skills; and an Intelligence of 18
gives him four additional skill choices.
UsiNQ Skills
When a character needs to use his
skill, the player rolls Id20 against his
current ability score for that skill. If
the result of the roll is less than or
equal to the ability, the skill use succeeds. A roll of 20 always fails, no matter how high the chance for success.
When two characters compete in
the same skill, the one who makes his
roll by a greater margin of success
wins. For example, a result five less
than the number needed beats a result
that is only one less than the number
needed.

IMPROVING Skins
A character's skill use chance can be
higher than the ability on which it is
based. For instance, an elf who is a
superior woodworker could have a
higher Woodworking roll than his normal Intelligence ability. To accomplish
this, a beginning character can "trade
in" one of his extra skill choices to
improve another skill. Each skill
choice traded in gives the character a
permanent +1 in a chosen skill.

Skills
As a character grows more experienced, he can purchase more skills or
improve existing ones.
All characters get a new skill choice
every four experience levels. Thus,
they acquire their first skills at level 1,
a new skill at level 5, and another at
level 9.
Humans continue in this progression for every four levels they increase
in skill. Elves gain new skills upon
acquiring 1,100,000 XP and then for
every 750,000 XP following. Dwarves
and halflings gain new skills when
reaching 1,200,000 XP, and for every
800,000 XP afterward.

ftM-&gOO{HVfrM

Of
The Minrothad Guilds were founded
in 691 AC by Gregus Verdier, a wood elf
who solidified the loose trading confederation of the Minrothad Isles into a system
of guilds and associate guilds. Reponsibility for crafts, manufacturing, trading,
and sailing (i.e., cargo carrying) were
assigned to specific clans and family
groups so that each race had equal power
and control through a family guild.
Over the following years a number of
miscellaneous guilds came into being
which provided services rather than manufactured crafts. These were finally consolidated into the group of organizations
known as the Political Guilds.
Guilds are noted for their policies of
noninterference with craftsmen. Unlike
most mainland guilds, innovation and
experimentation are encouraged, resulting in a number of finely-made articles
that are useful and unusual. The work of
these guilds is recognized as some of the
best in the known world.

A particular clan or family, chosen by

membership consensus, leads each family
guild of craftsmen. The clan is usually a
family group that has historically provided leadership to the guild. A guild master
who is head of his family guild comes
only from that leading clan. The position
of guild master is hereditary, and passes
on to an heir of master-level skill. Subordinate master craftsmen advise the guild
master, or guild leader, as he is sometimes
called, and report directly to him on their
areas of responsibility.
Each guild master is aided by a support
staff whose functions are uniform
throughout the guilds. Staff consists of a
first guild advisor who interacts with local
government; a first guild consort (the
spouse of the guild master) who runs the
guild hall and guild master's mansion;
and a master guild treasurer who audits
the books, collects taxes from the membership, and controls the guild vaults.
There is a master of the guild leader's
agents who is in charge of the small security force that protects the guild master
and the vault. Finally, there is a guild

master trading liaison who works with

other groups in matters of import,
export, and domestic trade.

CouNcil of QuilO Leafceus The guild masters of the various family

guilds meet as the governing body of
Minrothad, known as the Council of
Guild Leaders, or the CGL. Presided over
by the ruling guild master, the council
sets policy and passes laws pertaining to
guild and government affairs, foreign
affairs, and trade practices.

RuIiNQ QuilO Masten

The hereditary office of ruling guild
master is always filled by a member of the
Meditor clan of water elves. This family
first led the water elves to the Colony Isles
and have been honored leaders ever
since. Once a ceremonial position, the
office is currently held by Oran Meditor,
who in recent times has exercised very real
control over Minrothad affairs. He is
assisted by a cabinet which has the same
functions as a family guild's support
staff, except for the lack of a trade liaison.
These officers have authority on a national scale (see Minrothad Government
chart).
The ruling guild master's primary task
is to determine policy and direction for
the country as a whole in cooperation
with family and political guild leaders.
He appoints officers to their positions in
the political guilds and mediates arguments between the family and political
guild factions.
In addition, the ruling guild master
may remove a particular clan from the
leadership of its family guild if good
cause can be shown, and elevate a clan of
his choice to be their successors. The disgraced clan must be shown to pose a
threat to the stability of Minrothad, usually because it has engaged in treasonous
activity (such as an assassination plot or
clandestine foreign alliance).

Political Quilbs
Far more than mere service-providers,
the political guilds form the backbone of
2O

the ruling guild master's strength. Magic,

the military, and spy-gathered intelligence are but three of the facets of power
represented among the political guilds,
which are described in detail below.
Although positions of leadership in
the political guilds are appointed offices,
it is very difficult to remove a guild master once he has been assigned unless proof
can be established of criminal acts or gross
negligence. The ruling guild master is
very careful in his choice of appointments
to these positions.

Society
Most Minrothaddans of working age
belong to a guild. Political guilds are
entered through long apprenticeship and
employment in the organization. Family
guilds are joined at birth or an early age
or, sometimes, through marriage or a
change of career.
The concept of a career change, however, is alien to most Minrothaddans. The
average citizen believes that a person is
born to be what he is, and nothing else.
One who wants to change family guilds is
perceived as an oddity of nature: a person
who must be either too proud to work
under the leadership of his clan or who is
defective from birth and unable to physically accomplish the work done by his
guild. Nor is there understanding for one
who wants to change political guilds, for
after years spent in an apprenticeship and
with the guarantee of life-long employment, why would anyone in his right
mind want to go somewhere else?

Faivfily Quilbs
(juilt)

ElsaN

Guild Elsan is mostly comprised of

water elves. It has complete control over
all services and products dealing with
ship building, navigation, fishing, and
working with raw materials gleaned from
the sea (sea vegetation, sea shells, and so
on).
Master Shipwright: This master craftsman is in charge of the construction,
maintenance, and repair of all Minrothad
sailing vessels and boats. He has three

"C176 CJuilOs of
CouNCil of Faivrily QuilO LeaOens

Political Guilds

head craftsmen under him. The head

keelmaker has charge of all ship-building
steps except for mast- and tackle-related
procedures. The head mastmaker is in
charge of all mast and yardarm construction. The head tacklemaker is in charge of
construction of blocks and tackle.
Master Varnishmaker: This master
craftsman oversees the manufacture and
application of pitch, sealants, varnish,
and paint to the Minrothaddan ships and
boats. He is also in charge of barnacle
removal and hull cleaning.
Master Fisherman: This master craftsman is in charge of the construction of all
fishing devices, instruction in the techniques of fishing, and the Minrothad
fishing fleet. He has two head craftsmen

under him. The first is the head netmaker, who is in charge of net construction,
maintenance, and repair and all net fishing done in Minrothad waters. The second is the head harpooner, who is in
charge of the construction of harpoons
and all harpoon fishing performed by
Minrothad vessels.
Master Sailor: This master craftsman
supervises the instruction of sailing techniques and the compilation of sailing
knowledge from other countries. His
duties also include the overseeing of miscellaneous sailing and navigational
devices. He is assisted by two head craftsmen. The head pilot teaches navigation;
the head rigger teaches rigging and
sailmaking and oversees these items on all
21

!<HHHfrMiHHfrM^HHOa<HHHMHlQ{Hl^OiHHl^^

Minrothaddan ships. These craftsmen

work very closely with the Merchant Sailors Guild.
Master Shellworker: The title of this
position dates back to the days when
water elves worked mostly shells for
armor and weapons. Today the phrase
encompasses the manufacturing of anything made from materials brought out
of the sea. Sea materials are used a lot in
Minrothad and many art pieces are now
being made by Guild Elsan for the export
market.
The master shellworker is assisted by
two head craftsmen. The first is the head
large shellworker who overseas work done
on large, bulky items (such as sea shell
armor); the second is the head small

"Cl> CJuilOs of Mi

shellworker who is mainly in charge of the

production of art pieces.

Quilt) VGRt>iR
Guild Verdier consists primarily of
wood elves. It has complete control over
all services and items having to do with
wood and cloth.
Members of Guild Verdier have an
almost mystical affinity for wood. Working things gleaned from the land is part
of their religion, and they love it. They
produce most of the tools, rope, canvas,
and cloth used by the other guilds. They
have also voluntarily accepted an unofficial responsibility, shared with the halflings of Guild Quickhand, for raising

Minrothad crops and livestock. Positions

of importance are as follows:
Master Carpenter: This master craftsman is in charge of all large, wooden,
nonsailing constructions, such as buildings, wharfs, bridges, and so on. He also
supervises the teaching of carpentry.
The master carpenter is assisted by
three head craftsmen. The head building
constructor is in charge of all wooden
buildings constructed or repaired in
Minrothad. The head siege machinery
maker is in charge of the construction of
siege machines for warfare. The construction is done in conjunction with Guild
Hammer. This is a highly lucrative export
item and also provides Minrothad ports
with extensive defenses. The head wheel22

wright is in charge of the construction

and repair of all large land vehicles in
Minrothad.
Master Bowyer: This position exists
only because of the high value the wood
elves place on good bows. This entire
associate guild does nothing but make
bows, crossbows, bowstrings, arrows, and
bolts. Minrothad bows are among the finest in the world (+ 2 to hit in the hands of
a member of this guild) and are a popular
export item. The master bowyer is assisted by the head fletcher, who is in charge
of collecting the finest feathers available
and making arrows. Custom-made bows
and arrows are the specialty of this associate guild.
Master Woodcutter: This master crafts-

CJuilfcs of Mi
man is in charge of the cutting and
replanting of trees throughout Minrothad. He also is in charge of the transportation of logs, cutting logs into lumber,
and grading lumber for sale. Most of the
best lumber in Minrothad is used for
Guild Verdier products or shipbuilding;
lesser grades of lumber are used in other
construction or are exported. Scrap wood
is used by the elves for fuel.
Master Woodworker: This master
craftsman is in charge of the construction
and repair of nonstructural items of
wood. He is assisted by three head craftsmen. The first is the head toolmaker, who
is in charge of making wooden tools or
wooden handles for tools. He works
closely with the head toolmaker of Guild
Hammer. The second is the head cooper,
in charge of construction of barrels, kegs,
trunks, and boxes made of wood. He is
one of the busiest head craftsmen in
Minrothad. The third is the head cabinetmaker, who is in charge of the construction of wooden furniture. He works with
the associate guild of clothmakers.
Master Clothmaker: This master craftsman directs the production of fabrics and
rope made from land-grown materials.
She is also in charge of fabric dyes,
threadmaking, and related small crafts.
She is assisted by five head craftsmen.
The first is the head spinner, in charge
of the associate guild of spinners which
transforms raw material into thread. The
second is the head weaver, in charge of

weaving the thread into cloth. The third

is the head canvasmaker, who takes the
heaviest canvas cloth and treats it with
parafin for water resistance. She works
closely with Guild Elsan.
The fourth craftsman is the head clothier, who is in charge of dying cloth, processing it so it will be softer, and
standardizing bolts. The head clothier is
much busier than many head craftsman
as she is also in charge of the associate
guild of tailors. Finally there is the head
ropemaker, who is in charge of all rope
making in Minrothad.

Quito
Guild Hammer is made up completely
of dwarves, all descendants of the original
immigrants led by Darkbrow Hammer or
of dwarves who followed shortly thereafter.
Guild Hammer has complete control
over most services and manufacturing
that deal with metal or stone. This group
is an important addition to the Minrothad Guilds, which was woefully lacking
in these areas before the arrival of the
dwarves. The guild has also experimented lately with the use of lava in manufacturing, but the actual applications are
still a secret. Positions of importance
within the guild are as follows:
Master Miner: This master craftsman is
in charge of all underground mining
operations in Minrothad.
QU1LD HAMMER (Dwaiwes)
Thor Stronghold
(Hammer Guildmaster)

Master Stonecutter: This master craftsman is in charge of all stone cutting and
transportation within Minrothad. He frequently travels to other lands to inspect
granite and marble and arrange for its
purchase and transportation to Minrothad, which has none of these types of
stone.
Master Mason: This master craftsman
supervises all building construction that
is done with stone. He often works closely
with the master carpenter of Guild Verdier.
The master mason is assisted by two
head craftsmen. The first is the head trapster who designs and constructs all traps,
hidden passages, and secret doors within
a structure. His office is awash with old
plans of all the buildings where he has
built traps at the owner's request. The
second is the head engineer, who designs
the major buildings, towers, and bridges
of Minrothad and who is consulted by the
other guilds in matters of engineering.
He is also in charge of the Minrothad
aquaduct and sewer systems and their
periodic renovation.
Master Smith: This master craftsman is
responsible for all cast metal and general
purpose forge work performed in Minrothad. He is probably one of the two or
three finest smiths alive today. He is
directly responsible for the design and
construction of gears, springs, and other
clockwork parts used in the construction
of big devices such as siege engines. His

QuilDs of
Up "
As told by halfling Archibald
Oildreg, Senior Journeyman Fuelmakcr, Guild Quickhand.
"Never a twice-thought on the fish
oil did I have, when I were a young
squeeg. Da come home smelling like
he slept in a bait box, and that was all I
knew. And four out of five meals a day
were friedoil were cheap, sure.
"Started my learn-time when I were
old enough to catch a flopper with one
grab and hang on. Twitchy thing, a
fish out o'water. Spent, oh, five years
packing catch from boat to gutter, and
oil-makings to press. After the
squeeze, clean up the mess. That were
half the clutter.
"Next step up were cranking the
press, then come my turn to process
the oil. Get four grades out now, most
journeymen only get three. I be top
squeezeman in the shop, and up for
mastership next year. Who knows?
Already sending my own barrel-shares
on Cosger's ship that runs to VorloiTown in Karameikos. Last run were
hot profit. If I make master, I'll open
my own shop.
"Now, I be saving up for my master's dues. Gotta work a lot of squeeze
to pay them fees. But Master Slipperyfoot be giving me the bright-eye, says
if I make master he'll slip me into family council if I got top style. Of course
he willhis daughter's my sweet, and
I be part of his family soon!"
five main associate guilds are the ones
most important to Guild Hammer's prosperity. He is assisted by three head craftsmen.
The head weaponsmith is in charge of
manufacturing metal weapons. The
design of the weapons is very elegant,
even the most basic ones. Minrothad
weapons always have a sea motiff etched
into the blade or worked into the pommel or handle. Weapons are popular
export items at all times, but sell best in
areas where a war is being conducted.

The master's second assistant is the

head jeweler, who is responsible for the
creation of all jewelry and the construction of small mechanisms. He is also the
official appraiser of the value of such
items.
The third assistant is the head blacksmith, who overseas three of the associate
guilds. He is directly in charge of the
manufacturing of metal items that do not
fall into the tool or lock category, such as
hinges, handles, horseshoes, and so on.
He is aided by the head locksmith,
responsible for the construction, repair,
and dismantling of all locks, and the
head toolmaker, responsible for manufacturing all metal tools and tool parts.
Master Armorer: This master craftsman
is in charge of the manufacturing of all
Minrothad metal armor, helmets,
shields, and barding. He is assisted by
four head craftsmen.
The first is the head shieldmaker who is
responsible for all metal shields made in
Minrothad and for metal rims and studding put on wooden or metal shields. The
second assistant is the head helmetmaker,
who is responsible for metal helms and
the metal ribbing or studding of leather
or wooden helms. The third is the head
harder, who adds metal plating or studding to leather or cloth barding. The
fourth assistant is the head armormaker,
who is in charge of the construction of
metal body armor and the metal studding, ringing, or plating of leather or
cloth armor.

Guild Quickhand consists largely of

halflings, but also has a fair number of
humans and some of the other races who
disliked their guilds. This guild controls
all services and manufacturing that deals
with leather, basic crafts, and all forms of
fuel, with the exception of the scrap timber used by wood elves for firewood.
Since the halflings were late-comers to
the guilds and they couldn't assist with
smithing or stoneworkingbadly needed skills at that timethey were assigned
the leatherworking crafts that were previously the domain of the wood elves. The
24

fuel crafts were learned by an ancestor of

Nimblefingers, the current guild master,
and were handed down along with other
native halfling crafts and some imported
skills.
Master Leatherworker: This master
craftsman is responsible for all leatherworking done in Minrothad. From tanning and working the hides and furs to
making them into shoes, boots, belts,
saddles, and armor, the master leatherworker oversees it all. He has four head
craftsmen assisting him.
The head cobbler is in charge of making and repairing shoes and boots and
oversees the production of belts, leather
bags, pouches, and all leather accessories.
The head saddlemaker supervises the
manufacture and repair of all leather harnesses, saddles, and saddlebags. The
head furrier is in charge of collecting furs
and hides and stripping, tanning, and
dying them, working them until the
leather is supple, and then transporting
the bulk leather to and from Minrothad.
The fourth is the head leather armorer,
who is in charge of making leather body
armor, shields, helmets, and barding,
and having them studded or ringed with
metal for extra protection. This requires
his cooperation with Guild Hammer.
Master Fuelmaker: This master craftsman oversees the making, transportation,
and storage of all the candles, oil, and
charcoal in Minrothad. Effectively, he
handles the creation or acquisition of
goods to meet most of Minrothad's fuel
needs. He has three head craftsmen working under him.
The head charcoalburner is in charge of
the production of charcoal and works
with the wood elves in selecting wood for
this purpose. Charcoal is primarily used
in the crafts requiring very hot furnaces,
like the metalworking of Guild Hammer
or the glassblowing of Guild Quickfinger.
The head oilmaker oversees the creation
of oil from animal fats and other sources.
The head candlemaker is in charge of
making all normal and ceremonial candles for Minrothad. He is also head of the
small, associated Wickmakers Guild.
Master Craftsman: This person is
responsible for the cottage industry of

KsS5 Bfl-H-fl-Q-HOB-H-0-&OfliE-frO-0-&fl-H-B-0-B-C

QuilOs of
associate guilds that work the basic crafts,
such as pottery and basketweaving. He is
assisted by four head craftsmen.
The head potter oversees the production of clayware, stoneware, ceramics,
and porcelain objects ranging from plates
and bowls for daily use to art objects. The
head basketweaver is in charge of all the
small basketweaving associate guilds. The
baskets made can be as small as a little
woven collector's box for trinkets or as
large as the baskets used for carrying certain types of bulk cargo. Some of the baskets made are even waterproof. The head
glassblower oversees the manufacture of
all types of glass, including the panes of
glass used in guild halls and wealthier
households, the glass containers used by

^&^-fl^^-iHi-a-a^^M-o^fcM-jJC-g^>y-u^^

many mages, and glass art objects which

are incredibly expensive. The last assistant is the head hornmaker, who is in
charge of converting animal horns, antlers, and so on into useful tools like knife
handles, containers, musical horns, or art
objects.
CORSGR
Guild Corser is comprised mainly of
humans but also has a number of the other races in its ranks.
By the time humans had recovered
from the devastation of their race in
Minrothad due to lycanthropy and vampirism, most of the essential guilds had
been claimed by other races or taken from

human control. They therefore staked

out new mercantile territory to take the
place of the crafts and the slave trade that
had provided most human communities
with money.
Guild Corser now has exclusive rights
in Minrothad to the collection, transportation, and sale of selected rarities and
foods. Many of Guild Corser's members
are in foreign lands collecting these raw
materials or arranging for their purchase.
Though the guild has little variety, what
it does sell is extremely expensive. Positions of importance within the guild are
as follows:
Master Magic Dealer: Because of trade
regulations, magical items cannot be easily sold in Minrothad. However, nothing

QuilOs of MiNnotliat)
He works mainly with smaller associate
guilds of falconers, dog-handlers, and
the like.
Master Spice Dealer: This master
craftsman oversees the importing, processing, exporting, and general handling
of the spices produced by Guild Quickhand. This trade accounts for over three
quarters of Guild Corser's income. He is
assisted by two head craftsmen. The first
is the head saltmaker who oversees the
production of salt, the other is the head
beekeeper who manages the vast bee
farms tended by halflings on Open Isle.
The master spice dealer has an army of
traders traveling everywhere to sell
Minrothad's spices.
stops Minrothaddan traders from buying
and trading magical items from and to
other nations. The master magic dealer is
in charge of a group of agents and messengers in foreign lands who do just that.
If exceptional items are found, then he
approaches the Tutorial Guild to see if
they wish to purchase it.
Master Alchemist: This master craftsman is responsible for the manufacture or
acquisition of the unusual chemicals used
by most of the guilds. This guild, too, has
numerous agents abroad.
Master Brewer: This master craftsman
controls a vast network of agents that
arranges for the basic ingredients of
mead, ale, and wine to be imported into
Minrothad and then for those beverages
to be made. He has one head craftsmen
assisting him who overseas the slow process of making, aging, and storing wines
and spirits.
Master Piper: This master craftsman is
in charge of making pipes and smoking
apparati from all types of materials: wood
and clay for normal pipes, gourds and
meerschaum stone for fancy ones, even
glass for hookah pipes. The head craftsman who assists him is a head tobacconist
in charge of trading, importing, and/or
treating tobacco.
Master Animal Trainer: This master
craftsman both teaches animals and
instructs others in animal training. He
arranges for animals to be imported,
trained, and then sold locally or abroad.

Political OJuilbs The political guilds are not nearly as

complex in their structures as the family
guilds are. These are the newest guilds in
Minrothad, more service or governmentoriented than the others. They offer the
most potential for power and advancement, and are not yet as versed in duplicity as are their family guild counterparts.

MencJjaNt Sailons
This guild is responsible for sailing the
trading vessels of Minrothad. It is overseen by the guild master with the help of
the master importer and the master
exporter.
Members of this guild are usually
instructed in the ways of sailing by Guild
Elsan for a year or two, then must serve
apprenticeships with the Merchant Sailors Guild. This guild also has authority
over Minrothad dockworkers and stevedores, as well as the ships they load and
unload. The Merchant Sailors Guild
works very closely with the MerchantPrinces Guild, since the ships cannot sail
efficiently without cooperation between
captain and crew.

MenceNany Quilto
This newest of political guilds is headed by a strongwilled, honest guild master
who is in charge of the three military
units of Minrothad. Each unit is run by its
26

own master craftsman, who is answerable

only to the guild master.
These military units are meant to be a
defensive force and are not intended for
battle away from the shores of Minrothad. Although the guild is called mercenary, it considers this employment to be a
lifelong commitment and takes care of its
retirees better than any other guild.
Unlike most guilds, which make their
money from dues and taxes on members
or the products they sell, the Mercenary
Guild is paid well by the government and
all other Minrothad guilds for defending
the islands.
Home Guard #1 is composed primarily
of human soldiers. It is a large defensive
force stationed near the city of Minrothad. This not only provides the best possible defense of the city but keeps the
seneschal honest as well. Home Guard #1
is trained to fight defensively in a city:
defending walls, using tower-top siege
ballistae, etc.
Home Guard #2 is composed primarily
of forest elf soldiers. It is larger than
Home Guard #1 but is spread out over
most of the remaining Minrothad
islands. This force is trained in both field
battle and guerilla tactics. It will fight
invaders on the beaches if possible, or
retreat into the hills and harass the enemy
to death.
Marines are the largest standing military force that Minrothad has. They serve
on every ship as defenders against pirates.
They are trained in the use of shipboard
ballista, boarding and repelling tactics,
and fighting in rigging. The number of
marines on board a ship depends on the
cargo being hauled, but is never less than
20 percent of the crew complement.
Marines also train the rest of the crew for
combat when time allows during voyages, so the estimate of fighting men
aboard a Minrothaddan vessel is usually
far below the actual number.
About one-third of the marines do not
serve on long-distance voyages at any one
time; these troops are assigned to the
Minrothad naval vessels which patrol
local waters.
The Auxiliary Home Guard is not
shown on the government orgnization

t:i7 Quiibs of MiNROtl7at>

chart. It is a military associate guild that
springs into existence only during times
of imminent invasion. At that time, the
Mercenary Guild gains authority over
guild and town security and constabulary
forces which constitute the auxilary
guard.

'Cljieves
The Thieves Guild is known to exist
but very little is known for certain about
it. Rumors abound, but the fact remains
that this guild's activities are covert. The
truth is known only to the guild master,
to Oran Meditor, and to the thieves active
in this unpopular and secretive organization.

'Cutonial Guild
The Tutorial Guild is a combine of
many smaller associate guilds that train
and teach. The guild master oversees the
administration of these associate guilds.
A force of guild scholars answerable only
to him checks on the associate guilds from
time to time to see that they are maintaining their standards of education. The
most important of the associate guilds are

up "Political"
as told by water elfCosger Elsan,
Journeyman Helmsman, Merchant
Sailors Guild
"My kin build these ships and
thought I would too. But how could I
stay land-bound when the waves beckoned? And so that path I took.
"My age-mates began their learn time in family crafts, but I sought out
old Elwyn instead, once master navigator. Time enough he'd spent on
ships, and so understood my urge.
When I came of apprentice age, I took
the tests for the Merchant Sailors
Guild and passed, thanks to Master
Elwyn 's coaching. Then my learn-time
as scupper began.
"Cabin boy is the obvious 'prentice, seen by passengers, but the real
work starts far below decks in the tac-

the School of Merchant-Princes, overseen

by the master of instruction, and the
School of Magical Artifacts, overseen by
the master of devices.
Among other things, the guild is
responsible for working on all major and
some minor court cases (see Laws of
Minrothad). It also runs programs in
affiliation with other guilds for the purpose of cross-training specialized individuals.
The Tutorial Guild has a monopoly on
the practice of magic in Minrothad and
this monopoly is enforced by law. The
guild inspects every known magical item
and magic-user which enters Minrothad.
A Tutorial Guild member is required by
law to be present whenever any spell is
cast.
This guild has a network of overseas
agents who are constantly on the lookout
for new spells, new philosophies of magic, and magical items. These persons cannot compete with Guild Corser's magic
dealer agents but they are empowered to
purchase magical items for the use of the
Tutorial Guild. This guild has the legal
right to make first offer on any item held
by a magic dealer, regardless of whether
kle hold, amidst the gear that needs
repair. And sailors put no trust in
splices made by half-trained scuppers
with half a care. Do a bit of work, and
it's pulled and tugged and picked at
by the top-side crew before it even
leaves the hold. Most of it comes
apart, and a scupper can spend a week
or more to get one splice done right.
"What piece-work stays together
earns some time topside, maybe in the
rigging. Do enough knot-work, and a
canny scupper can splice himself out of
the tackle hold and into the foc'sle.
Topside he tars rope and polishes
brass, but the rigging-time comes
more often. And so it goes, step by
step, until he's making sail and doing
all that needs doing.
"True, we're not as cozy a bunch as
a family guild. A scupper is pushed
and tested, every step of the way. But

27

the item is for sale. If the forced sale is

disputed, the price that should be paid
for the item is determined in Minrothad
by the parent guilds.
If a Tutorial Guild agent misrepresents
himself for the purpose of acquiring magical items or spells for his personal use
rather than the guild's, the penalty is
quite high: the death sentence under the
Black Seal Warrant.

City of M/NK or/7a D

The city of Minrothad remains neutral
and uninvolved in national or guild government affairsa neutrality essential for
the cooperative interaction of all the
guilds. The capital is treated as a
guildlike entity with a seneschal as the
city's equivalent of guild master. He has
authority over everything going on in the
capital except the guild shops. He is, of
course, answerable to the ruling guild
master and has no control over the palace.
A complaint about the seneschal or the
city must be lodged at a council of guild
leaders meeting by a member of that
body; the complaint is then brought to
the attention of Oran Meditor for mediation.
it binds us together, it does, and when
a sailor calls himself guildsman, he's
earned the name!
"Take meI'm a helmsman, and I
hold this position because I know it,
not because the captain's my father or
some such nonsense like family guilds
go by. And I know every position
under me, like the points on a compass. I can fill in for deck crew if needs
benot like the sailmaker, you see:
he's family, and all he knows is his canvas.
"Now, I've a choice: if I stay helmsman, I need next to study navigation
under Guild Elsan. Or, I can take a
line on bo'sun's mate and do more
work with the crew. Who knows? I
might do both. Then when I make
senior journeyman I'll be up for second mate. There's no end to where
skill can take a sailor in this guild!"

Caste
The apprentice-journeyman-master
rank system of the guilds, based on
achievement and experience, carries over
into Minrothad society. To an overwhelming extent, a person's position in his guild
reflects his position in society. This has
resulted in a formalized caste system, recognized by tax laws and acknowledged by
citizens in their daily lives.
A person's guild and rank dictate
which category he occupies in the Minrothad caste system. Some caste positions
limit one's progress within the guilds,
but for the most part, caste lines are not
completely rigid; hard work or political
skill can elevate an individual to a higher
caste than the one he began in.
There are six castes in Minrothad. Each
reflects a degree of wealth, but even
more, an appreciation of what a person
can do for his guild. Caste names come
from ancient Nithian words for rank and
standing; people often refer to themselves and others by a reference to their
caste: "A cleric will always be an evem,
regardless what he preaches to others."
First Caste: The first and lowest rank is
the okeen, or laborer caste. This caste
includes guild members of the least
importance: apprentices and those who
are too lazy, careless, or indifferent to
make much difference to the guild.
Regardless of wealth, a sloppy and uncaring craftsman remains an okeen, as does
an otherwise respected oldster who
refuses to pass on knowledge of his craft
to the young.
Second Caste: The second caste is the
macau, the artisans who comprise the
majority of common guildsman. This is
the great middle class of Minrothaddans
who toil and work for love of their craft
and guild. It is their efforts that keep
Minrothad prosperous. The macau have
traditionally enjoyed more benefits than
the okeen: better pay, better positions in
the guild, finer tools and materials to
work with, etc.

Third Caste: The third caste is the

evem, from the word for craftsman. This
caste consists of lesser guild managers
(assistant craft masters, assistant guild
masters, and so on), very wealthy guild
members who do not hold a political or
guild office, and exceptional guildsmen
who are highly respected for their skills
(such as healers and clerics).
Evem enjoy far better pay and benefits
than the two lesser castes. It is to the third
caste that most second caste guildsmen
aspire. The third caste can be reached
through hard work and innovative ideas.
A macau guildsman enters the evem by
appointment from a member of a higher
caste or by a vote of promotion by third
caste guildsmen.
Fourth Caste: The fourth caste, or
dosan, takes its name from the word for
leaders. This caste consists of the head
craftsmen and masters of the guilds. It
includes most members of guild administrations. These are powerful and wealthy
people, most of whom ascended from the
lower castes through their own labor or
the efforts of their forefathers.
A member of the third caste is promoted to the fourth by appointment
from a higher caste or by vote of fourth
caste guildsmen. Among the family
guilds it is very difficult to rise to this
caste from lower ones. There is a growing
trend for a retiring family guild master or
head craftsman to nominate his
appropriately-skilled son or daughter as
his replacement. This choice is ratified by
his guild council peers, who hope to do
the same for their children. This is not the
practice among the political guilds, however: just one of reasons why there are
greater opportunities for advancement in
the political guilds.
Fifth Caste: The fifth caste is the yulen,
from the word meaning commanders.
This is the newest caste. It came into
being to reflect the status of the
Merchant-Princes, the magic-using sea
captains who command the ships of
Minrothad's trading fleet.
The yulen are almost identical to the
dosan of the fourth caste, but yulen are
more learned and all know magic. The
membership consists of merchant-princes
28

who were trained by the Tutorial Guild

and guild masters and head craftsman
who are training to become merchantprinces.
Sixth Caste: The sixth caste is the
saneer, meaning rulers. It is a small and
elite caste consisting of the nine guild
masters who sit on the council of guild
leaders, the seneschal of the city of
Minrothad, and the ruling guild master,
Oran Meditor. These are the most powerful and wealthy individuals in Minrothaddan society.

Caste aNt> Quilt)

iDeNtif icatioN
In a place as concerned with rank and
membership as Minrothad, it is not surprising that there are several ways to identify exactly what caste and guild a person
belongs to. Guild identification is
required by law, caste identification by
custom.

Caste
A person's caste is signified primarily
by clothing. It is not so much what he
wears that indicates his caste, since garments come in unpredictable variety in
Minrothad, but it is the quality of the
cloth and the nature of the accessories
that are the telling point. Members of all
castes but the sixth incorporate a workrelated item in their ensemble: a silver
tasting salver hanging from the neck for a
vintner, or a baker's cap for a baker. The
higher the caste, the finer the material
and more stylized the design of the significant accessories.
Members of the sixth (ruling) caste
wear no work accessories at all, and this in
and of itself is indicative of their rank.
Their clothes are the most extravagant
and finest of all, meant to embody their
guild's pride and importance.

Shields and Devices of the Minrothad Guilds

Minrothad Guilds
(Ruling Guild Master)

Guild Corser

Home Guard Unit 1 or 2

Mercenary Guild
(Unit's number is placed
below sword pommel)

Guild Hammer

Guild Verdier

Guild Quickhand

Guild Elsan

Merchant Sailor Guild

Mercenary Guild: Marines

Caste SysteM
Guild membership carries with it privileges and obligations, and Minrothaddans expect to be able to easily identify a
guildsman's rank and standing. Upon
passing apprentice level in a guild, most
members are marked with a tatoo in a visible place: the back of the hand, on the
cheek, or even on the forehead.
Guildsmen expect to wear the tatoo for
life and embellish it with additions which
indicate rank and specialty skills. Tatoos
are removed only if a person changes
guilds or is kicked out of one for some
reason. The removal process uses an acid
wash; it is a painful and scarring process
and not undertaken lightly.
Organizations that do not care to have
their members easily identified, like the
Thieves Guild, give them a ring, earring,
armband, or other removable object as a
sign of guild membership. The token is
given to the member after he has served
his guild reliably for two years. These
guildsmen usually also wear a simple and
misleading family guild tatoo, lest the
lack of a mark draws attention to them.

SljielOs

balance symbolizes trading power and

honesty in such dealings. It is simple,
usually black on white, and bears nothing
on the scales. Every Minrothaddan trading or military ship has the insignia painted on the prow and stitched into the sails,
and flies it as a flag. All official documents from Minrothad show the balance
at the top of the page, including receipts
for goods bought or sold.
Guilds which give their members
tokens rather than tatoos have the guild
device worked on the token. Devices not
illustrated here have the following
appearances.
Thieves Guild: Although little is
known about the membership of this
guild, its device is a matter of official
record. The insignia is a horizontal dagger serving as the balance for two small
scales, each with a full pouch of gold on
it.

Devices

Membership tatoos duplicate the pattern that is on a guild's official shield or

device. The devices of the ruling guild
master, the family guilds, and three
political guilds are shown. Each incorporates the balance device which is the
insignia of Minrothad as a nation. The

Tutorial Guild: Guild members wear a

large earring of electrum as token of their
membership. It is worked with an octagon with a single scale hanging inside it.
Depending upon their affiliation, the
content of the scale differs. The scale of a
merchant-prince bears a pentagram; the

scale of the associate Instruction Guild

bears an open scroll; the scale of the associate Devices Guild shows a wand. The
Tutorial Guild master and his staff have a
star with rays shining forth, signifying the
deliverence of knowledge from the heavens.

City of Minrothad: Guildsmen wear

rings as insignias of membership. The
device is a balance standing atop an item
of the seneschal's choosing and so
changes with every seneschal. The current
insignia is a balance atop the beam of
another, slightly larger balance, symbolizing the seneschal's desire to keep the
city as fair as possible to all the guilds.

QuilD Pnivileqes
Members of the greatest trading combine in the Known World enjoy many
privileges unique to their nation.
Price Discounts: A guildsman pays
only 40 percent of the wholesale price for
any item manufactured by his own guild
and may purchase from other guilds at
wholesale price. Nonguild members pay
a standard retail price, which can be 100
percent or more of the wholesale price.
It is considered immoral for a guild
member to buy something at his reduced
membership price for a friend in another
guild. It sometimes happens between
friends or lovers but it is frowned upon
and repeat offenders may have their price
privileges revoked.
Business on Credit: A guildsman can
buy on account from his own guild with
no interest charged. A guild may offer
the same courtesy to members of other
guilds on an individual basis, charging
only a small interest rate for the credit.
Such credit-based business is rarely done
outside of Minrothad and is never practiced with retail customers, where "cash
on the barrelhead" is standard.

Prefered Customer Status: Guildsmen

get first pick of goods before they go on
sale to the public, except for special-order
items. This privilege extends to guild
services. If there is only one passenger
berth left on a ship, for instance, a guildsman is taken on board in preference to
another passenger.
Good Exchange Rates: Guildsmen
converting coin for personal use receive
special discounts on conversion fees and
get the best exchange rate possible.
Cut-Rate Travel: A guildsman may
perform labor in his guild specialty
before or during a sea voyage in exchange
for low cost or free travel.
Free or Reduced-Rate Training: Guilds
train their members free of charge.
Guildsmen can receive cross-training in
other guild specialties through the Tutorial Guild. In contrast, nonguild members cannot receive any instruction from
the guilds at all.

Of

A talk with Emelia. Oswip of the

Scholars'Fraternity, Glantri
"Look, there goes a merchantprince, swaggering along like a power
incarnate. Yes, the fellow with the
blue hipboots and gold scabbard.
"You can tell he's a merchantprince by the pentacles on his clothes.
"Besides, I know him. That is, he
was captain of the Egret on my voyage
here, name of Saroso Elsan. The voyage was entertaining; it gave me my
first glimpse of a merchant-prince in
action. There's a growing interest in
them in Glantri that's why I'm
here, to learn what I can about them.
"No one talks much about these fellows. They're all leading members of
their guilds. It seems merchantprinces can come from any guild. Most
are ship captains, but others are just
very experienced traders.
"They're trained by the wizards'
guild herewhat do they call it? Tutorial Guild? They must be dedicated
fellows, learning magic after they've
learned a profession. And not ordinary
magic eitherthey work the elements.
"That one, Elsan, did interesting
work on our voyage. He seemed in a
hurry to arrive in Minrothad and we
had favorable winds all the way
magical winds, I could tell.
"Those skills are not too remarkable
by themselves, but crewmen told me
they wished we would sight some
pirates so I could see firsthand how a
merchant-prince deals with sea brigands. I can do without that kind of
entertainment, but it was an interesting comment. They seemed convinced
their captain would save them the
trouble of a battle. I have a lot of questions I want to ask a merchantprince...
"And look, here he comes again!
Excuse methere's a tavern and here's
my chance. Oh, Captain Elsan!..."

Politics iN the MiNROttjaD Quilbs

"Work in Minrothad politics is like
separating two fighting she-wolves. By
the time it's done, you're in the middle
of the fight yourself and you 've been bitten by both sides at once."
Oran Meditor

'Cljc Etljic of CoMpetitioN Product specialization and the force of

law prevent the Minrothad Guilds from
competing with each other in the commercial arena. Yet an ethic of competition is instilled in every apprentice and
embodied by every trader who is part of a
guild. Guildsmen refuse to be bested in a
trade or a sale and pride themselves on
overcoming the obstacles that stand
between them and commercial success.
This attitude even carries over into
Minrothad dealings with other nations.
Traders, ambassadors, and factors are
concerned first with how Minrothad can
profit from a situation and second with
how to meet and defeat any competition.
The same competitive drive that makes
guildsmen world-class merchants finds its
outlet within Minrothad in merciless
political infighting and jockeying for
position. Guild leaders aspire to evergreater degrees of power in government
and let very few ethics or morals stand in
the way of promoting their guilds or
themselves.
In a perverse way, Minrothaddans are
proud of the chaos this sort of competition produces and of the intrigue that is
its natural byproduct. These things are,
after all, signs that the interests of one's
guild are being advanced. Anything
short of treason and assassination goes, as
long as the action or its results do not
adversely affect Minrothad itself.

Political SysteM
"Intrigue, duplicity, scoundrelism,
evasiveness! All the things that we hope
to avoid in government are as food and
drink to the Minrothad politician."
lerendi Ambassador Ounia, trying to
explain to his government his desire to
leave Minrothad.
Though its hidden workings are
treacherous, the government of Minrothad is much more than groups of selfserving craftsman trying to gut each
other. Like the scales that are the nation's
symbol, the family guilds and the political guilds are the primary counterweights
on the political scene. They are separated
by the ruling guild master, whose office
and its cabinet are the fulcrum and balance of power in the Minrothad system.
The ruling guild master enjoys support
from the political guilds, whose guild
masters he appoints. He uses this support
to offset the influence of the powerful
family guilds, whose backing he sometimes enlists by promoting one of their
race, guild, or clan to a position in the
political guilds.
On the other hand, the ruling guild
master can do very little if both the family
guilds and the political guilds oppose
him, for their taxes support the national
government and the military is not under
his personal control as a cabinet function.
Consequently the balance between the
three factions remains stable only as long
as all three are strong. This balance of
power has been upset in the past, resulting in poor government decisions formulated and pushed through by the
dominant group. Besides caring for the
real business of government, the ruling
guild master must himself be a master of
intrigue, struggling to ensure that no single political faction becomes too powerful through its plots and ploys. In spite of
their reputation in trade, the politics of
Minrothad are not for the naive or the
scrupulously honest.
"You can easily tell when a Minrothad
guild master is lying: his lips move."
Continental guild hall joke

Pnice of iNtnique
A word of caution from Lord Ordekis, Thyatian ambassador to Minrothad
People who play Minrothad politics
play for keeps. The game moves swiftly,
the players change constantly, and rules
of fair play are observed only when convenient. Any tool that helps advance a
cause is used when needed and that
presents a danger for visitors to Minrothad.
Travelers who seek intrigue and perhaps physical risk can easily find this
when they come to these islands. But
even the innocent voyager may get
caught up in webs not of his own weaving. The one who is lucky might simply
have a rude encounter with unprincipled
guildsmen; he who is not may be charged
with treason, or lose his life in one of
many ways.
Visitors should remain alert for ruses
designed to use a foreigner as an unwitting tool of guild intrigue:
If you are not a merchant, be wary if
invited to a private place to discuss guild
business. Minrothaddans never discuss
guild business with outsiders unless it
relates to a specific trade arrangement.
Refuse requests to deliver sealed or
otherwise private messages to other
guildsmen. Almost every place of business sends legitimate messages by
apprentice or with a friendly captain if it
must go to another island. If you do this
sort of favor for someone you are likely
being used as a dupe in some kind of
guild intrigue.
If you are asked to do something that
might be illegal (such as waylaying someone leaving a tavern, "as a practical
joke") be extremely cautious. You can be
certain that is not the true purpose of the
ploy, and the one who approached you is
almost never the one who is really behind
it. If you comply, you may become
involved in serious charges. If you refuse
to help or report it to the constabulary,
you may be harassed by vengeful guildsmen. I have nothing to advise in such a
situation except to avoid it.

DUNGEON MASTER'S BOOKLET

OFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY

MlNROtliaD
by Deborah Christian and Kim Eastland

Table of Contents
Welcome to Minrothad
History of the Minrothad Guilds
Historical Synopsis of the Minrothad Isles
Government
Crime in the Minrothad Isles
Pirates of the Minrothad Isles
The Merchant-Princes of Minrothad
Guild Trade
Speculative Trade
Trade Goods Tables
Supply and Demand Tables
Sailing
Weather
Navigation
Secrets of the Minrothad Elves
Towns and Cities: A Trader's Tour
Personalities of the Minrothad Guilds
Adventures
Adapting Gazetteers to AD&D Campaigns

Credits:

AD&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, and WORLD OF

GREYHAWK arc registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
FORGOTTEN REALMS, BATTLESYSTEM, PRODUCTS OF
YOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks owned
by TSR, Inc.
Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random
House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.
Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.
Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.

Design: Deborah Christian, Kimber Eastland

Editing: Steve Winter
Product Manager: Bruce Heard
Cover Artist: Clyde Caldwell
Interior Artist: John Lakey
Graphic Design: Stephanie Tabat, Dave Sutherland
Cartography: Dave Sutherland, Dennis Kauth
Typography: Kimjanke

This module is protected under the copyright laws of the United

States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use
of the written material or artwork herein is prohibited without
the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

TSR, Inc.
FOB 756
Lake Geneva,
WI5314? USA

TSR UK Ltd.
120 Church End, Cherry Hinton
Cambridge CB1 3LB
United Kingdom

9236

ISBN 0-88038-607-X
TSR, Inc.

WelCOMG to MlNROtliat)
A word from Gheryn Verdier,
Minrothad Guilds Ambassador to Karameikos
You who are about to send your friends
to the Minrothad Guilds: do they wish to
buy? We have goods to sell, and none
better from any guild hall on the continent.
Do they wish to sell? We might be willing buyers, if the price is right.
Do they seek information? We have
that aplenty, news and gossip from all
corners of the world. And intrigue to go
with itmore, I dare say, than most
mainlanders can stomach.
Alas, if your friends seek employment,
they are unwelcome if they hope to compete with a guild craft or service. But
there is always call for bodyguards, or special agents who serve in, shall we say, less
conventional ways.
But if your friends adventure in Minrothad, warn them to be on their guard.
Fall afoul of the Minrothad Guilds and
no law on the continent can help them.
Our reach is long, and a Black Seal Warrant of death awaits foreigners involved
in treasonous intrigues.
Oh? They don't plan such involvement? I see. Then let us hope it does not
seek them out instead, shall we?

T^e Qazettcen
This sourcebook deals with the Minrothad Guilds. It is a reference book for the
DM's eyes only. An overview of the
Minrothad Guilds is provided in the
accompanying Adventurers' Guide to
Minfothad, designed for both players
and DM to read and use. But there is
much that is not said in the Adventurers'
Guide and some that is intentionally misleading for player characters. The truth is
told here.

T3)e MiNuotl7at> Quiios

Minrothad, a nation of island peoples,
is organized into a close-knit confederation of craft and service guilds. The country is commonly called the Minrothad
Guilds, as they are known in commerce

with the world's trading communities.

The Minrothad Guilds are located in
the Minrothad Isles, formerly called the
Isles of Dread. The islands are in the
Dread Sea south of Karameikos between
lerendi and Thyatia.

CaiwpaiQNiNQ IN
MiNRotfjab
Adventures in the Minrothad Guilds
can be a welcome change of pace from
campaigning on the mainland. Not only
is the setting different, but the type of
adventure opportunities are different as
well.
A Minrothad campaign offers involvement in covert operations and subtle
encounters in which no sword can make a
difference. Adventurers will be challenged with "thinking" encounters in
which the character who uses his head
profits better than one using brute
strength. And PCs will find it difficult to
walk away from the intrigues of Minrothad and its guilds, for this is a nation
that can place a bounty on their heads
which will follow them throughout the
continent.
Characters who visit the guilds can rest
and recuperate there, sell their booty, or
hire out as free agents for dangerous missions. For players and DMs who want to
run a campaign permanently based in
Minrothad, there are advantages and
drawbacks to this particular setting, especially if native Minrothad characters are
used.
Career Problems: Characters will find
that the guild environment severely limits how they pursue their adventuring
career. Natives can become fighter characters only by joining the appropriate
guild, in which case they become obligated to serve that guild as any other guildsman would be. nonnatives can only
pursue a fighting career as a hired agent
and cannot receive training from the local
guild. The same applies to thieves and
magic-users, whose spellcasting is limited
by guild regulation. Clerics are the only
character class unrestricted by guilds.
Career Advantages: A Minrothad campaign offers the chance for characters to

be enlisted as special agents to the ruling

guild master, a position which takes them
outside the normal guild structure and
enables them to pursue adventures on
behalf of the government authorities.
Their benefits and rewards will naturally
be things valued by the guilds: promotion to a higher caste, the bestowal of a
business, perhaps even the gift of a merchant ship for trading ventures.
In addition, the DM may use the
Minrothad setting as a springboard to
adventures which take place anywhere in
the world. Characters can travel on guild
ships, take care of guild business, and
return to the Minrothad Isles as their base
of operations. PCs may pursue a career in
trade or shipping either as a sideline or a
major part of their activities. And finally,
if the DM wishes to allow it, characters
can try to become merchant-princes, an
unusual spellcasting NPC (and possibly
player) class described in this book.

WJ7O SI?ou1t> Play IN

The guilds of Minrothad include representatives of all races, and all races are
welcome in the Minrothad Isles. Elves are
especially numerous, and have rather
more influence in government and the
shipping trade than other races.
Fighters are respected for their skills
and the occupation is an admired one in
Minrothad. Native fighters are all members of the Mercenary Guild and a fighter
must be a member of that group to
acquire training and purchase unusual
weapons in Minrothad. Foreign fighters
are not accepted into the guild unless
they wish to make a career commitment
to it. A fighter from the mainland cannot
receive training in the islands unless he
can locate a nonguild fighter to instruct
him.
Clerics are tolerated in Minrothad,
where gold is pursued more avidly than
religious enlightenment. Four belief systems are represented in the islands and
are independent of the guild system
which dominates other aspects of Minrothad life. Mainland clerics of the same
alignment can strike up a cordial working

Welcoivte to
relationship with Minrothad clerics without difficulty.
Thieves are anathema to the
mercantile-minded
Minrothaddans.
Characters identified as such are followed
and sometimes harassed by law forces,
looking for an excuse to make an arrest.
The Minrothad Thieves Guild is a
secret organization that has exclusive control over criminal activities in Minrothad
waters. PC thieves who practice their skill
and get caught by the Thieves Guild do
so at the risk of their lives.
This is not to say that thieves should
not go to Minrothad. On the contrary, the
Thieves Guild is always looking for a few
good foreign rogues to act as free agents
on the continentor even to do some
coven spying in Minrothad that the guild
would not want to be associated with if
the spy is caught.
Since Minrothad has a network of
thieves and spies throughout the islands
and in most major ports of the mainland,
a capable thiefs reputation is often
known before he reaches Minrothad.
Thieves should not be surprised if they
are approached by the guild during their
stay in Minrothad.
Only members of the Tutorial Guild
practice arcane crafts here; most magic
other than sea and weather enchantments
is unfamiliar to the public. Magic-users
who visit the islands find themselves the
object of curiousity and some suspicion if
they are identified as mages in Minrothad.
Only spellcasters of the Tutorial Guild
are authorized to practice magic at will in
the Minrothad Isles. Foreign mages may
only do so if supervised by a Tutorial
Guild member. This stricture can be
defied but such action is usually illegal,
and the character may have to face the
consequences.

"Clje MiNKOtftao Caste

SysteM
The caste system of the Minrothad
Guilds is explained in detail in the PC
booklet. For characters adventuring in
Minrothad, it is useful to determine what
caste they fall into according to local cus-

tom. This should help the DM determine

NPC reactions in caste-conscious Minrothad and aid in gauging the level and
type of compensation that might be
offered to PCs for their services. Regardless of a character's rank or title from the
mainland, if any, guildsmen will usually
address him with references to his caste,
just as if he were a Minrothaddan.
Adventurers who begin a campaign as
native Minrothad characters start as
members of the third caste.
Mainland characters with a social
standing ranging from knight (see GAZ
1) on up are fourth caste. Lesser members
of royalty start as fifth caste; only kings,
queens, and heads of state are sixth caste.
If a character's social standing is uncertain, the DM can go by level instead.
These guidelines are suggested, but can
be adjusted as necessary for the individual campaign:
Character
Level
Basic
Expert
Companion
Master

Caste
Level
2
3
4
5

How to Use tljis

(Jazetteeu
The History and Government chapters
give the true story of Minrothad's past
and hidden government workings. The
Thieves Guild chapter deals with a secret
organization that is far more involved in
the operations of the Minrothad government than most people realize. The
Merchant-Prince chapter describes those
seafaring masters of magic who contribute so much to the reputation of Minrothad as a trading nation. The Trade
chapters that follow give inside information on guild trade practices overseas and
outline a system DMs can use to simulate
PC or NPC trading and shipping activity.
Next come chapters on the Minrothad
Isles describing the isalnds of the Sea of
Dread and adventuring opportunities
found there. Non-Player Characters covers all the important and interesting personalities of the Minrothad Guilds.
Finally, the Adventures chapter includes
a full range of Minrothad adventure scenarios for characters from Basic to Master
level.

GJuilbs

Histouy of tlie
Elves migrated northward after the
destruction of Blackmoor, but not all
groups remained with Ilsundal as he led
them to the Sylvan Realm (see GAZ 3).
Two groups of elves honored powers from
the Sphere of Time; both groups were
prompted by those powers to leave Ilsundal's migration and settle at some distance from each other in the lands west of
Thyatia.
These were the Meditor and Verdier
clans of elves. The Verdier settled in the
forest lands of ancient Traldar in what is
now Karameikos; the Meditor elves settled farther south, near the seacoast. Later, a series of cataclysms flooded the land
and formed islands. This upheaval created the Sea of Dtead, the lerendi
islands, and the archipelago later known
as the Mintothad Isles. The Meditor elves
found themselves stranded on those
islands and the Verdier elves found themselves living on newly-made seacoast.
The Verdier and Meditor elves were
descendants of elvish shipbuilders in
their lost homeland to the south. Again
prompted by immortal intervention, the
Verdier elves built ships and joined their
btethren on the island they called Alfeisle. There they engaged in handicrafts
and the building of small ocean-going
vessels, exploring the island and the local
waters.
While elves went about their affairs,
traders from the burgeoning Nithian
Empire discovered Trader's Isle. Led by

the adventurer Minroth, the group recognized the value of the natural resources
they found there. They colonized the
island, founded the port called Harbortown, and began to call the chain the Colony Islands.

MiNnotl?'s Quest
Unknown to his friends, the colonization of Trader's Island was part of
Minroth's quest to ascend to the
Sphere of Matter as a polymath. He
settled and explored the island as
much in hopes of finding the artifact
hidden by his immortal sponsor as for
mundane reasons of trade and profit.
A master-class fighter, Minroth's
nearly superhuman abilities became
evident in the early days of the colony.
In fact, his quest was successful; when
the artifact was attained, Minroth
ascended to the Sphere of Matter and
vanished from the island. The
Nithians have venerated him ever
since and the church of Minroth was
founded to honor this immortal.
Minroth's sudden disappearance
without a goodbye or word of explanation left his contemporaries with an
unsettled feeling. Ever since, there has
been the expectation that he would
reappear just as suddenly as he left.
This expectation has become a mainstay of the creedo of Minrothism, as
explained in the .Adventurer's Guide.
As the Nithian Empire fell into slow
decline, the trader-colonists of Trader's Isle
began their ascent. Calling themselves
Minroth traders after the cult that had
sprung up to honor the Nithian, they carried rare woods and handicrafts to peoples
who lived on the shores of the Sea of Dread.
Over the next centuries, trade developed
between growing Thyatis and the islands.
Minor disputes over the use of forest wood
grew into a major rift between the Verdier
and Meditor elves. The Verdier took to the
the woods and lived in isolation from their
kin. At this time the terms "wood eh0' and
"water elf came into common use
between the two.

In search of new territories, colonists

from the Alphatian Empire made their
way to the islands around this time. They
easily found the largest and most promising of the Colony Islands and there they
founded the colony of New Alphatia.
As chance would have it, this was Trader's Isle, already settled by the Minroth
traders. Separated by central mountains
and coast-shrouding fogs, it was a year
before the two groups discovered each
other. After a series of inconclusive
clashes, saner heads prevailed. Alphatians were as interested in ttade as the
descendants of the Nithians. Joint trading ventures were agreed upon, combining Minroth trading knowhow and
Alphatian seafaring knowledge.
In the third century AC, human and
elvish cultures finally stumbled upon one
another when volcanic activity forced
elves to seek out other appropriate settlements in the island chain.
The water elves instantly recognized
the great value of Alphatian magic, a
craft which had become adapted to
almost exclusive use on the sea. In turn,
the Minroth-Alphatian trading combine
was impressed with the unusual design of
the elvish ships and their intriguing sailing capabilities. The water elves were taken with the humans' generosity and
abundance of trade goods. It was only a
short while before the Minroth traders
proposed a trading combine which would
include the elves.
The elves agreed, then sought out their
forest-dwelling kin to enlist their woodworking skills in the building of trade
vessels. The timing of this offer was convenient, for the proud wood elves had
suffered through several years of famine
and were agreeable to an offer of food in
exchange for woodcraft.
The successful trade venture began with
mutual exchange of goods, services, and
vessels. War conducted by the Alphatian
and Thyatian Empire helped the island
combine to prosper, for the empires relied
heavily on merchant shipping to carry supplies for the war effort and booty from conquered territories. The island traders
maintained their neutrality and sold shipping services to both sides.

HiStOR? Of tl7C MlNRCmjaO

The humans of Harbortown also carried conquered peoples as trade goods,
slaves desrined for Thyatis. In the next
decade, Minrothians and New Alphatians fought over the slave trading of
Alphatian sailors. The dispute ended
only when elves stepped in and forced the
humans to make peace. But by the end of
the fourth century Minroth had once
again entered the slave trade, much
against her allies' wishes. During this
time, many halflings were brought to
Trader's Isle to serve as slaves to the
Minroths of Harbortown.
As trade grew, the Minroth humans
soon carried most island exports. But the
great benefits of the far-flung Mmrothian
trading network could also be a bane, as
was soon evident. In the fourth century
the dreaded disease lycanthropy and the
curse of vampirism were brought to most
of the major ports of the continent by
Minroth ships, although the traders
blamed it on the Alphatians.
Lycanthropy and vampirism became a
major problem in the human settlements
in the Colony Islands. Elves armed with
silver weapons hunted down the unhuman creatures in what came to be known
as the Silver Purge, destroying the Alphatian colony in the process and depleting
the human population.
In spite of their depleted numbers,
humans continued to hold halflmg
slaves. Elves secretly trained and supported a free halfling, Malf Quickhand, who
led a 'rebel' army of halflings to free the
slaves. With halfling-sized tackle specially made by the elves, Quickhand and the
former slaves took disused human ships
and sailed to an island which had been set
aside for their use by the elves. There the
elves signed treaty papers with the halflings, recognizing them as free folk and
welcoming them to the trade federation.
The humans were powerless to protest.
Hadric Corser, "The Great Uniter,"
consolidated the remaining humans and
laid the foundation for a community government of the trade federation. On the
old site of the New Alphatia colony he
founded a new capital city of Minrothad.
In the next centuries, the wood elf Gregus Verdier, "The Second Uniter," con-

;VimHHHHHKHHraHHHHKHHMMOM^^

tinued Corser's work. He consolidated

the government under a system of family
and associate guilds, creating for the first
time the entity known officially as the
Minrothad Guilds.
When Verdier died (he disappeared at
sea in the year 700) only a handful of
guild officials knew that this was the work
of lerendi assassins hoping to shatter the
new trade alliance. The effort failed.
In the first quarter of the ninth century, Minrothad experienced an influx of
immigrants. Many craftsmen were
attracted to Minrothad because of its
growing reputation for quality and freedom of artistic expression.
In addition, Minrothad traders in
Glantri recognized a golden opportunity
and seized it. Dwarves from Rockhome,
migrating to Glantri in search of gold,
found themselves heartily unwelcome.
The Minrothad Guilds had always been
lacking in metal and stoneworking craftsmen, so traders invited the dwarves to
migrate to the islands and join the guilds.
The dwarves agreed. Led by Darkbrow
Hammer, the former Rockhomers settled
rocky Fortress Island and were welcomed
into the guilds. They dominate the metal
and stoneworking crafts today.
In the middle of the ninth century the
Council of Minrothad was held, a conclave of guilds which refined details of
government and guild responsibilities.
Among other things, the council severely
limited immigration to Minrothad, a
reflection of the ever-increasing isolationism felt by most Minrothaddans, and
established the position of ruling guild
master. The council also restructured the
caste and guild system to incorporate the
recently developed merchant-prince class
of magic-using sea captain.
Kitrina Meditor passed the Isolation
Act in 890 AC. The act completely forebade immigration to Minrothad and cut
the number of visitors allowed entrance
to the islands to almost nothing. This was
believed to be the best way to keep the
trading and manufacturing secrets of
Minrothad safe, but in reality it stopped
the flow of innovative craftsmen into the
guilds and would adversely affect how the
world viewed the Minrothad Guild for

decades to come.
Kitrina was assassinated, leaving her
heir, Oran Meditor, too young to take
over as ruling guild master. In the interim, the council of guild leaders served as
regent. Council members used their newfound clout to line their own pockets,
slackening quality standards on goods
and raising taxes to burdensome levels.
Goods produced during that era,
stamped CGL, are examples of substandard production, for the Minrothad people became demoralized and the quality
of their work visibly suffered.
Oran Meditor took office at the relatively early elvish age of 150 years, as soon
as his obligatory craft training in the
water elf guild was complete. The council
was unable to protest, but relinquished
power reluctantly. Oran soon cleaned
house with a series of unexpected reforms
and adroit political maneuvers that have
breathed new life into the Minrothad
Guilds. The Isolation Act has been
rescinded and Minrothad has once again
thrown its doors open to trade, craftsmen
and visitors.

Histony of tlje MiNuot?7at>

Histonical SYNOPSIS of tl?e
MiNROt?7al> isles
In this synopsis, BC refers to "before
crowning" and AC refers to "after crowning" of the first Emperor of Thyatis.
000 BC: Planetshift; the Great Rain of
Fire destroys Blackmoor; elvish home
continent freezes, survivors flee north
to the newly-formed Broken Lands.
2100 BC: Meditor and Verdier elf clans
leave Ilsundal's northward migration
and settle in southern Karameikos
(GAZ5).
1700 BC: Cataclysms split land masses
and ocean floods create islands; Meditor elves are left on the new-made Isles
of Dread.

443 - 445 AC: Expeditions of elves and

humans purge Dread Island of all
lycanthropes; human population is
decimated; this time is called The Silver Purge.
450 AC: Malf Quickhand leads a halfling
slave revolt; newly-freed halflings take
ships and migrate to the island they
name Open Isle.
475 AC: The forest elf trading port of
Verdon is founded.
488 AC: Hadric Corser, The Great Uniter, brings the remaining humans
together; founds the city of Minrothad
and lays foundation for an organized
trading federation.

1720 BC: Verdier elves build ships and

join their cousins in the Sea of Dread.

500 AC: Conflict between Alphatian and

Thyatian empires begins; Minroth
traders maintain neutrality and dominate merchant shipping for both sides.

1100 BC: Nithians led by Minroth cofonize the Isle of Dread and found Harbortown.

520 AC: The halfling trading port and

capital city of Open Isle, Malfton, is
established.

0 AC: First emperor of Thyatis is

crowned; Thyatians do some trading
with Minroth islanders.

601 AC: Gregus Verdier, the "Second

Uniter," is born on Alfeisle; forges forest elves into unified political and economic faction by 646 AC; establishes
Council of Dread and the Minrothad
Guilds in 691; assassinated in 700 AC.

250 AC: Alphatians found colony of New

Alphatia on the Isle of Dread; Alphatian magic is adapted to seafaring
needs.
276 AC: Human and elf cultures in the
Isles of Dread meet and establish
trade.
284 AC: Minrothian and Alphatian cultures clash on Dread Island over slave
trading issues; elves force the humans
to make peace.
300 AC: The water elf trading port of
Seahome is established.
360 AC: Minroth traders carry slaves for
Thyatian Empire; halfling slaves are
introduced to the Isles of Dread.
410 AC: Minroth traders inadvertently
spread the curses of vampirism and
lycanthropy to the seaside kingdoms.

828 AC: Dwarves migrate from Rockhome to Glantri in search of gold;

unwelcome, they depart on Guild
ships to join the craftsmen of the
Minrothad Isles; dwarves settle on Fortress Island.
841 AC: The dwarven port of Stronghold
is established.
850 -862 AC: The Council of Minrothad
refines government structure and
establishes office of ruling guild master; first ruling guild master, Missan
Meditor, is appointed; severe laws
restricting immigration are passed.
880 AC: Fire Island atoll is declared off
limits to all shipping; thieves guild
secretly establishes Cove Haven as a
pirate base on this island.

890 AC: Ruling guild master Kitrina

Meditor passes Isolation Act prohibiting immigration and most visitors to
Minrothad.
900 AC: North Isle is annexed; the refuge
colony of Gapton is established.
Circa 940 AC: All Minrothad trading vessels are now captained by merchantprinces and carry marines.
950 AC: Minrothad signs neutrality pacts
with most mainland countries.
965 AC: Kitrina Meditor is assassinated;
council of guild Leaders acts as regent
until Oran Meditor comes of age.
980 AC: Lycanthropes are again discovered in Minrothad; fear spreads that
more may have escaped the Silver
Purge.
989 AC: Oran Meditor takes office, institutes reforms.
991 AC: Oran Meditor rescinds the Isolation Act and opens Minrothad to outside contact.
995 AC: First assassination attempt on
Oran Meditor; Clan Kasan is behind
the attempt and is removed from control of the water elf guild; Clan Elsan
promoted to replace Clan Kasan.
998 AC: Second assassination attempt on
Oran Meditor; assassin is believed to
be a hired wizard from Glantri.
1000 AC: (Today.) Minrothad celebrates
150 years of nationhood; Oran Meditor makes public appearances to stop
rumors of his continued ill health.
1200 AC: Great War between the Republic of Darokin and the Master of the
Desert Nomads (see modules X4, X5,
and X10).

RuliNQ Quill) Masten

A commentary on Oran Meditor by
halfling Alf Shadower, guild master,
Thieves Guild
"If you deal with the guilds, you deal
with the government. So you'd best
know a bit about the ruling guild master.
For he be the government, far more than
most guilds care for.
"The council of guild leaders put the
ruling guild master in a palace in Minrothad City; now they be stunned that their
figurehead be acting like a king. Meditor
stirred a hornet's nest with his reforms,
and this last assassination attempt almost
done him in. So, what's he done to rile
them so?
"First, he hurt the family guilds in the
pursestrings. As regents before Oran
came of age they bought substandard
materials for the guilds to manufacture
with. They pocketed the difference.
Between that and raised taxes, they lived
fat and happy. Then Oran took over, lowered taxes and made them buy high grade
material.
"Second, Oran ousted heads of political guilds who were puppets for the family guildsin particular, the masters of all
the Mercenary Guild units. He replaced
guild masters with people loyal to himself
instead of the families. Now the military
takes oaths to uphold the office of ruling
guild master, and don't even mention
the guild council!
"Third, Oran is sly enough to parry the
family guilds' hidden ploys. They wanted to use the Thieves Guild as a political
tool against Meditor but he made some
attractive deals with us. We can see who's
winning this power struggle. We went
over to the ruling guild mastei and left
them high and dry.
"Now Meditor needs to watch his
backside. We help how we can, but serious assassination attempts are hard to
counter. Them family guilds don't give
up easy."

f^Wa-Jffl-fl^raHraHHHHHHMHHH^^

FactioNs
The ruling guild master is assisted in
the functions of his office by a cabinet
that he appoints. Although the titles are
identical to those that help run each family guild, the functions of the cabinet
officers are in some instances remarkably
different.
First Advisor: Ginol Meditor is Oran
Meditor's uncle. This is the ruling guild
master's right hand and deputy and is
heavily relied upon. The fitst advisor acts
in the place of the ruling guild master
when the guild master is ill or incapacitated. Ginol served in this way while
Oran recovered from the last assassination attempt.
First Consort: Astra Meditor is Oran's
wife. As first consort, she is responsible
for running the palace in the city of
Minrothad and overseeing all social and
many diplomatic functions of the government. She has assumed many of the ceremonial functions once served by the
ruling guild mastei when that office was
more of a figurehead.
Master Treasurer: Eliz Blanceer is a
human who coordinates all other guild
treasurers, has complete audit authority,
and controls the tax procedures for
Minrothad. This is the most fiscally sensitive position in the country, and the master treasurer is expected to be highly
trustworthy and beyond reproach.
Master of the Ruling Guild Master's
Agents: Truth Greenton oversees the ruling guild masters agents. In a family
guild, this would be a small security force
which serves as personal security for its
guild master. In the case of the government cabinet, however, the guild master's agents are an elite intelligence and
security force that protects the ruling
guild master and collects whatever coven
intelligence he deems useful for his purposes.
Agents under Greenton's authority act
independently of guild heirarchies.
Adventurers from the continent who find
employment with the government of
Minrothad are likely to join this contingent in service to the ruling guild master.

Intrigue and plots are the mechanism

that drives much of Minrothad Guilds
politics. Here is the current assortment of
major problems that lurk hidden on the
political scene. Even those that seem
inconsequential can have far-reaching
effects in Minrothad.

City of MiNnotljad
The first assassination attempt against
Oran Meditor failed because the assassin
missed his shot, killing the seneschal of
the city of Minrothad instead.
Seizing the opportunity to bolster his
power, Meditor appointed the halfling
Hastin Smoothtongue as seneschal, thus
binding Guild Quickhand closer to him.
Kin of Guild Corser have been seneschals of the city of Minrothad for over
100 years. However, that guild had been
actively plotting against Meditor, who
decided that their outrage at losing the
office of seneschal could not significantly
worsen the situation.
Meditot was wrong. Guild Corser is set
steadfastly against him and is plotting
another assassination attempt in conjunction with other discontents.

LycaNtfjnopy
The Lycanthropic Plague of 980 AC
was a resurgence of the old curse of
Minrothad humans. The council of guild
leaders failed to act decisively against the
outbteak and some even enlisted lycanthropes as their agents for assassinations.
The were-menace soon grew into a fullgrown plague, with weres appearing on
all the islands by the year 989In that year Oran Meditor took office
and sent the Mercenary Guild to deal
with the problem. The greatest threat is
now past, but weres remain in unexpected places.
One of those places is in the city of
Minrothad. The former commander of
the Home Guard #1, Marden Bailey, is
himself a victim of the curse. Blackmailed
by Verdier forest elves, he is head of a
group of weres who assist in assassination
plots. Bailey plans how to destroy all

QoVGKNMGNt

those who have taken advantage of his

curse. In his human form he works to gain
the loyalty of guards in his old unit.

Merchant-princes and the Tutorial

Guild openly support Meditor, even providing their personal guards and magical
services to him when he recovered from
the last assassination attempt. The
merchant-princes come from an assortment of Minrothad family guilds, but are
more loyal to their brotherhood of magicusers than to their families.
Family guilds resent this, and in their
desire to counter the growing power of
the merchant-princes, extraordinary
measures have been taken. Several
magic-users have been brought into the
country clandestinely to use subtle
enchantments on behalf of the family
guilds. Charm spells and similar methods
are being employed to persuade selected
merchant-princes to support their family
guilds and nullify Oran Meditor. Most of
these spellcasters come from Glantri and
are quite good at what they do. Their
presence here is highly illegal and as yet
unsuspected by the Tutorial Guild. The
last assassination attempt on Meditor was
made by one of these hired wizards.

KasaN
The Kasan were once head of the water
elf family guild until their assassination
attempt failed. They are now the most
implacable enemies Oran Meditor has
made. Their activities are spied upon by
Meditor's agents, but there is one ploy
going completely unobserved.
The Kasan know that the ruling guild
master is quietly looking for foreigners to
serve as agents. Kasan representatives are
searching for likely mainlanders in order
to buy their loyalties and then have them
apply to be agents for the Minrothad government. These double agents would be
used to feed misinformation to the ruling
guild master, a valuable asset in the world
of plot and counterplot.

QOVGKNMGNt
EMp]O?MNt IN
As Explained by Truth Grcenton,
Master of Agents, ruling guild master's cabinet
"The only place for nonguild members to find employment in Minrothad
is with the government, and then only
in special capacities as, say, one of the
ruling guild master's agents.
I don't accept everyone who
applies, of course, but sometimes I
actively recruit. Like now: there's been
a string of coincidental 'accidents'
around Oran Meditor that make me
uncomfortable. Masonry falls from a
building, a balcony collapses, a family
pet attacks for no reason and has to be
killedthat sort of thing. Oran and I
agree the family guilds are up to something again, and we're looking for
some special agents to investigate.
I've put out the word on the mainland through our Thieves Guild and
trading contacts. Right now I'll hire
someone who's not affiliated with
these guilds in any way. We need outsiders we can trust, who won't be
swayed by guild politics.
Sure, guilds don't talk to outsiders
about their business. But there's ways
around that. We pass foreigners off as
'outland traders' from the continent:
when a trader has children born in a
foreign country, they're automatically
part of his family guild and can wear
the mark if they want.
We fix our agents up with any guild
tatoo or insignia that they need, fill
'em in on a cover story, then there's no
questions asked. Oh, the tatoos are
magically applied and so come off later without difficultynever know
when the agent will need to use a different guild mark. The tatoos are no
problem. Its finding the right person
to put them on."

Deati? IN ti7
As told by halfling Ka.be!
Grassroots, journeyman gardener, city
ofMinrothad
"I were in the garden, a-pruning
the hydrangeas, when Guild Master
Meditor come out to take the air. He
stopped by the peach tree and sat on
the stone bench. He were there no few
minutes when the earth roiled and
burst up right in front of him! I
googled and near dropped my shears.
"There stood a manlike thing, all
made out of dirt and rocks. His rulership had this surprised look on his face
when it clubbed him and knocked him
clear back offen that bench.
"I thought sure he must be kilt. But
no, the master were hurt, but alive.
He half stood and scrambled back,
under the trees and around the gardenia bush. The thing followed him,
pushing trees right to the sideand
that's when I spied the other man.
"Looked like Guild Corser, from
the cheek tatoo, but he'd no business
in the palace gardens, hey? He stood
behind the gardenias, staring real hard
with his hands pointed funny at the
dirt-man.
"The dirt-man were on Meditor
again, crunching him in his arms. It
dropped him, and the master collapsed like every bone in his body were
snapped. Looked like next tromp,
he'd be crushed. I didn't know what
to do, but I had to do something. So I
went screaming out there, running
right across the lawn, and threw my
shears at the thing's back. Well, this
wizard were so busy, he didn't notice
me sooner. But I think my holler
spooked him. He gave a start, the dirtman froze in mid-stomp, then everything got crazy.
"Later they told me it were an earth
elemental, and the wizard lost control
of it. That wizard got away and there's
nothing left of the garden, blast him.
"An earth elemental. Imagine that.
And I threw my prunin' shears at it."

CRIMG in ttye
QuilD
Little is known about thieves by the
average Miniothaddan. Even less is
known about the guild to which most
ptofessional thieves belong. Theii actions
seldom come to the awareness of the public and Minrothaddans are content to
keep it that way. It is unsettling enough
to citizens that their government knows
about the activities of this nefarious
guild.

Histony
Early in Meditor's rule, various family
guilds hoped to use the Thieves Guild
against him. The organization was strictly
clandestine, its existence and connections
with pirates known to only a few of the
family guild members.
Through the Thieves Guild, these
plotters passed information to the pirates
about what Minrothad shipping would
be suitable targets for attack. The purpose of this maneuver was to undermine
Meditor's authority by claiming ineffectiveness against pirates.
For some time the pirates took these
tips and lived well off the sacrificial shipping. But Oran Meditor suspected the
family guilds were involved and was not
too surprised when he was openly
approached by the Thieves Guild itself.
The guild wanted to strike a deal with
Meditor. If Oran let them use Minrothad
trading agents as contact points, they
would develop a network of trade intelligence overseas. This would help them
expand their continental thieving network; in exchange the Thieves Guild
would not operate within Minrothad
waters.
Oran was not completely happy with
this offer and was about to turn them
down when the old guild master died of
natural causes. He took the opportunity
to make a counteroffer to the new guild
master, Alf Shadower. Meditor would
endorse Alf in his office, thus saving a lot
of infighting over the position. He would
also permit the overseas expansion of the
Thieves Guild, as previously proposed. In
exchange, the guild would be reorgan-

If&j^fBfl-Cg-y-S-B-frfl-B-aOM-frWQ-P-OOQiHratHHre

zied along specific lines.

Shadower agreed to these proposals.
The Minrothad Thieves Guild today is an
official organization with government
sanction, operating along strict guidelines and rules.

The Thieves Guild is divided into three

associate guilds. Each operates independently, reporting directly to the guild
master himself, and has no contact with
the others. The guild master, Alf Shadower, is accountable only to Oran Meditor for the actions of the guild.
Master Thief: The master thief is Lerri
Cagliari, a middle-aged human woman
based in Specularum. She took over this
position from Alf Shadower when he
became guild master.
Device: This guild uses the device of
the Thieves Guild, described in the
Adventurer's Guide.

OpenatiONS
Thieves operate almost exclusively on
the continent, in ports and trade towns
and wherever else guild business takes
them. They steal to finance the operations of the guild and consider any nonMinrothad person or business to be fair
game. (Also, more foreigners belong to
this group than any other Minrothaddan
guild).
In suitable places lacking a thieves
guild of their own, the Minrothad thieves
dominate the local crime scene. This
group has the man-power and the experience to come into a town and set up a successful criminal organization. Not all are
called guilds, and many do not even
know they are really front operations for
Minrothad thieves.
Aside from purely money-making ventures, the actions of these mainland
thieves serve the purposes of the Minrothad guilds whenever possible. Merchants and shippers who compete with *
the Minrothad guilds are prefered targets
of opportunity, as are officials and other
persons who are not cooperating with
Minrothad trade agents or ambassadors.

Isles
In cities where there is already a strong
thieves guild, the Minrothad thieves go
deep underground. They continue their
activities in a low-key manner, and have
become quite adept at evading the local
thieves. Since death is almost a certain
penalty for infringing on another guild's
territory, Minrothad thieves are very careful not to get caught. Only the most
experienced guildsmen operate regularly
in another guild's territory.
The Thieves Guild serves as an informal intelligence network for the government of Minrothad. Although they do
not actively seek out information, as do
the Blue Eels, thieves constantly stumble
across gossip and other tidbits that might
be of interest in a larger context. This
news is passed along to the guild master
in Minrothad; in special instances it may
go directly to the local Blue Eel contact.

Deaf/7 to "CtjiVS
In 965 AC, after the assassination of
Ruling Guild Master Kitrina Meditor,
the much-heralded '' Death to
Thieves" decree was passed.
The decree mandated an immediate
trial and death sentence for anyone
convicted of thievery of a certain
degree or type. The act was a hysterical
response to the fact that Meditor's
assassin had been a member of a foreign thieves guild. Abhorrent of
thieves and all they represent, Minrothaddans heartily endorsed the act.
The decree is still in effect in the
Minrothad guilds, although it has
been enforced less and less over the
years. However, if members of the
Minrothad Thieves Guild are the
thieves unlucky enough to be caught,
their trial and execution is speedy so
that they will not have the chance to
reveal sensitive information about
their guild, such as its involvement
with pirates and assassins and the fact
that the ruling guild master knows of
this.

Ciuivie IN tl7C MiNROtljaO isles

Minrothad thieves also serve as recruiters for the Thieves Guild. Recruiting
likely young talents and experienced
thieves is the first priority of this guild,
but their contacts are so wide-spread that
they often encounter people who might
make suitable Blue Eels or privateers.
This information is passed through channels and the prospects contacted later by
the appropriate party.
Although this guild has officially
agreed not to operate in Minrothad, there
are always individuals who cannot resist
temptation. Their thieving is usually confined to picking pockets and other relatively petty crimes so as not to anger guild
authorities. If they are caught, however,
they may suffer an inordinate penalty
because of the Death to Thieves decree
(see sidebar) which is still in effect in the
Minrothad Isles.

CoNtact
The Thieves Guild can be contacted
officially through the government of
Minrothad. It can be approached unofficially by a discreet word to a guild port
agent or factor. The word will be passed
along and a thief will pay a visit to the one
who inquired. Mtnrothad trade agents
serve only as information relays and middlemen in legal activities.

Blue Eels
This guild is responsible for finding
out things that could affect Minrothad
business interests and trade concerns.
Since many political actions of a nation
impact its economy and hence its commerce, the Blue Eels are perforce one of
the most extensive spy organizations on
the continent.
There is at least one Blue Eel or one of
their foreign agents in place in the government or court of almost every nation
that Minrothad trades with. Where this is
not possible, the Minrothad trade agent
is often a Blue Eel. That post keeps the
spy in a position to at least observe economic events within a country and make
appropriate reports.
Blue Eel spies pass along information
on tariffs, taxes, economic development,
and military and political events. Much
of this information-gathering is mundane, but allows the ruling guild master
to advise Minrothad merchants on effective trade strategies and tactics.
Master Spy; Master of this guild is the
dwarf Cass Charmer, a former thief who
single-handedly created the network of
spies called the Blue Eels. His base of
operations is the city of Minrothad, but
Cass spends most of his time traveling on
the continent handling guild affairs.
Device: A royal blue eel writhes vertically, holding a balance in its mouth. Five
stars form a pattern on the eel's back, a
subtle reference to the five stars of the ruling guild master's device.

The Blue Eels are the intelligence and

spy arm of the Minrothad government.
While the ruling guild master's agents
collect information on domestic plots,
the Blue Eels concentrate solely on foreign intrigues and plans. All members of
this guild are native-born Minrothaddans; many are orphans or other persons
with no strong ties to family guilds. Their
existence is a closely kept secret, known in
Minrothad only to Oran Meditor and his
first advisor, and of course ro the guild
master of the Thieves Guild.

Sensitive Information: When Minrothad is concerned about a country's military intentions or other highly sensitive
information is sought, Blue Eels are prepared to handle that kind of assignment.
If necessary, the spy steals documents, listens to secret conferences, and does whatever is needed to secure the information.
This is the most hazardous of all spy
ventures, when the Blue Eel must delve
after information rather than letting it
come to him. Because of the irreparable
harm the discovery of a spy would do to
Minrothad trade ventures, spies are sworn
to kill themselves rather than be captured
alive. Each Blue Eel carries a small concealed vial at all times. The vial contains a
potion concocted of sea snake venom; the
poison is fast-acting and always fatal.

Recnuited AqeNts
Sometimes it is easier for a foreign
native to get close to sensitive information. Foreigners who work for the Blue
Eels are recruited agents, whether or not
they realize they are aiding the spy organization of Minrothad when they undertake a mission. A recruited agent may be
as innocuous as a chambermaid, reporting who her lord entertains at night; it
might be someone as prominent as a minister of government, dissatisfied with his
lot and willing to sell information to a
high bidder. The Blue Eels have almost
unlimited funding with which to coax
such informers.

Contact
It is impossible to contact the Blue Eels
except through the office of the Thieves
Guild. Even then, anyone exhibiting
knowledge of this spy organization will
be the target of immediate suspicion and
will be shadowed by the very spies he is
trying to locate.

CKJM IN

Pnivateeus
Privateers, or pirates, have a tolerated,
semi-legal status in the Minrothad
guilds. Their existence is known, but the
fact that they are part of the Thieves
Guild is a well-kept secret. Details about
piracy in the Sea of Dread and Minrothad
waters are given under Pirates. Here following is simply an overview of privateers
as associates of the Thieves Guild.
Master Privateer: The Master of the Privateer Guild is the water elf Hamilvar
Kasan. His headquarters and base is Cove
Harbor on Fire Island.
Device: The device of this associate
guild is a balance with two cutlasses as the
crossbeams of the balance arm. When
ashore, guild members wear a metal
bracelet or anklet with this device on it.
When at sea, absolutely no insignia
relating them to the Mintothad guilds is
worn, though passwords are issued so
they can identify themselves to key
merchant-princes. The traditional pirate
flag bearing a skull and two crossed cutlasses, called the Dread Banner, is used to
identify privateer ships when raiding.

OpenatioNs
Minrothad privateers once had letters
of marque from the government authorizing them to attack and destroy or confiscate the shipping of nations hostile to
Minrothad. In the past there was some
purpose to this, since Thyatian war vessels
made forays now and then into the Sea of
Dread. Now, however, the guilds have
signed neutrality treaties with most seafaring countries. There are no openly hostile powers for the privateers to attack.
This tiny detail has not stopped the
privateers from continuing their banditry. Called pirates by everyone but themselves, the Privateers Guild preys on any
likely merchant shipping except Minrothaddan vesselsand a decade ago were
attacking those as well.
Since the restructuring of the Thieves
Guild, Oran Meditor has tolerated the
continued existence of the Privateers
Guild under inflexible conditions. They
must leave Minrothad shipping strictly

alone and may harass only shipping of

companies and nations which compete
with Minrothad's cargo trade. They are
not permitted to kill captives after a vessel
is taken, but must drop them at the nearest inhabited land fall or set them free in
boats within sight of inhabited land. The
privateers are expected to supplement the
tiny Minrothaddan navy and assist in the
effort to keep foreign military vessels and
poaching fishermen out of Minrothad
waters.
For use in such 'official' encounters,
privateer captains carry letters of authorization from the ruling guild master.
With this exception, privateers carry
nothing to connect them with Minrothad
during their piratical ventures. If they are
captured, the ruling guild master can
claim, truthfully, that he had merely
authorized some Minrothad captains to
act as auxiliary navy in patrolling the local
waters.

Cango
Privateers sell captured cargos in a variety of mainland ports. They never sell
such goods in Minrothad, a stricture
intended to keep them out of the public
eye and questions out of the minds of
inquisitive guild merchants.
Their cargo sales are tacitly assisted by
the Minrothad trade agent in port. As
long as items are not contraband or clearly identifiable as someone else's property,
the factor does privateers the courtesy of
asking no questions about the goods. The
cargo is accepted into the guild warehouses and the trade agent handles the
other details of selling.

Contact
Minrothad privateers can be contacted
in Cove Harbor on Fire Island, at sea in a
sea encounter, or sometimes selling goods
in a mainland port.

Assassins
There is no official Minrothad Guilds
connection with assassins. Through their
mainland contacts, though, many
Thieves Guild masters know assassins and
II

1SlS

know where to locate them if they are

needed.
When a Black Seal Warrant has been
issued against someone, assassins are
often hired to locate the condemned person, no mattet where he is hiding, and
execute him. The bounty is given to the
assassin for the job, minus a small percentage for the Thieves Guild's trouble of
hiring him in the first place.
Unofficial government purposes also
warrant the hiring of an assassin. Once in
a great while someone in the Minrothad
government wants a political adversary in
a foreign nation disposed of. This might
be, for example, a minister of trade who
refuses to exempt guild vessels from an
exclusionary tariff. If the request is passed
along by the guild master of the Minrothad Thieves Guild, an assassin is unofficially hired to take care of the
troublemaker.
Assassins are far and away most commonly employed by family guildsmen
and sent to Minrothad to do a politicallymotivated assassination. This is not condoned by the Minrothad Thieves Guild,
but they and the government are powerless to prevent it. Both entities wash their
hands of the matter completely, although
penalties are harsh if the family guild's
involvement can be proven.

Piuates of tfje MiNROtftab Isles

Pirates of the Minrothad Isles
An overview by Ariana Demenck,
human second mate of the Radiant, Privateers Guild
"So you be thinking the privateers
might be a spot 'o'fun fet your friends?
I'd say that depends on if they be in the
guild ot chased by the guild. But I'll show
you around, let you judge fer yourself.
"And fer starters, mate, don't keep
googlin' at me. Minrothad likes female
craftsmen fine, but some of them family
guilds be a bit too set on marriage alliances and children. The women what
don't cafe fot that life go looking for
another. There be plenty of female pir . .
. privateers about, even some captains.
And me eyepatch be not so stiange. You
see 'em amongst them that fight at sea.
"Now, about this 'pirate' business.
When the guilds were founded, we were
busy keeping Thyatians out o'our waters.
It weie only natural to create a Privateers
Guild to do that, and there were a proud
purpose to it.
"When the Thyatians gave up and
kept away, that were no reason for the
guild to disband, now wete it?"

Histony
Minrothad, with its concentration on
merchant shipping, has never developed
a large navy. In the early 8th century, the
guilds relied heavily on their merchant

force to supplement the Navy's patrolling

capabilities and keep Thyatian naval vessels out of Minrothad waters.
A number of enterprising captains
formed the Privateers Guild specifically
to accomplish this. Because of Minrothad's neutrality agreements, they were
unable to attack Thyatian shipping in
Thyatian waters, but had free reign in the
ocean territory claimed by the Minrothad
Guilds. The privateers built modified
merchant ships for this purpose. The vessels were longer and narrower of beam,
allowing them to move swiftly through
the water while retaining enough hold
space to carry a worthwhile amount of
cargo. As long as there was adequate
wind, the well-armed ships could easily
catch, out-maneuver, and defeat lateenrigged Thyatian merchants and even war
galleys.
When Thyatians finally departed Minrothad waters, the Privateers Guild did not
stop its operations. Beckoned by rich merchant shipping in foreign waters, the privateers simply removed all marks which
identified them as official Minrothad vessels and began pirating in earnest.
The speedier hull developed for privateering was soon adopted by regular
Minrothad merchant shipping. When
this happened, Minrothad pirates could
no longer be identified by their hull
shape alone. As the privateer fleet grew
with the addition of captured shipping, it
was impossible for suspicious mainlanders to say for certain what nation, if any,
was behind the outbreak of piracy.
Minrothad trade suffered under the
Isolation Act of 890 AC, and piracy had
increased many times over by 960 AC. A
decade ago, pirates from lerendi and
Thyatis stepped up their raids on rich
Minrothad ships. This has been taken as a
go-ahead by the privateers to pursue foreign shipping in kind.
Piracy has never flourished so greatly
before in the Sea of Dread, with clashes
between pirate vessels occurring with
increasing frequency on the high seas.
Minrothad privateers receive a bounty
from the ruling guild master for each foreign pirate they can prove to have sunk 01
captured.
12

JOINING tl} pnivateeus

For the young squeeg what thinks he
or she might tike the pirate life, there be
ways to find the privateers guild. We be a
secret guild, you see, but rumor floats the
air through dockside taverns and a few
questions there can set a seeker right.
A sly one puts out the word on the
docks. Soon one o 'us pays him a visit. Or
a bold one walks into the Thieves Guild
offices in Minrothad and says he wants to
join. The thieves claim not to know us,
but a privateer mate or captain comes
along in the next week or two and has a
talk with him.
Trick is, once you 're in, you don 't get
out. This be a guild for life, and it be life
away from most of Minrothad. We make
that clear to them that apply. If they be
over-fond of family guilds and holidays,
they never leave the dock. But them that
has promise takes a sail in a private boat.
And when she pulls aside a privateer
ship, they climb aboard as scuppers.
A privateer begins his career as an
apprentice, called a scupper. He becomes
an able seaman after two to five years of
training, depending on the individual, and
then may progress in technical and petty
officer specialties if he choses to do so.
Good petty officers are promoted to officer
ranks. The only exception to this is in the
case of clerics and other skilled specialties
who start out as jourenymen/officers.
Minrothad privateers should be regarded as fighter-class characters who are also
skilled in sailing. The avetage range of
fighting skill levels are listed along with
guild and equivalent shipboard ranks in
the Ranks sidebar. The table also gives
the number of shares each person receives
by guild regulation when loot and cargo
profit is divided up.

RaNks
Abbreviations:
SJm
Jm
JJm
Ap

Senior Journeyman
Journeyman
Junior Journeyman
Apprentice

Finales of tl7 MiNKOt?7at> Isles

Ship
Guild Character
Rank
Rank Level Shares
Captain
Master 15-25 + 10
First Mate
SJm
11-15
6
6
Quartermaster SJm
10-13
Ship's Healer
Boatswain

SJM
SJM

Second Mate

JM

8-15
9-12

6
5

7-12

Chief Boatswain's
Mate
JM
6-9
Third Mate
JJm
3-7
Sailmaker
JM
5-7
Ship's Carpenter JM
5-7
Ship's Cook
JM
1-3
Helmsman
JJm,JM5-10
Watch Chief
JJm,JM5-10
Special Positions JJm, JM5-10

Able Seamen
Scuppers

JJm
Ap

3-7
1-3

4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
1

A similar heirarchy is followed by the

Merchant Sailors Guild and the Minrothad Navy. As in other Minrothad shipping, officers do not start as officers, but
must work their way up through the
ranks. Captain is the guild equivalent of
master, and is almost always someone
who has risen to his position through
hard work.
The responsibilities of these positions
are described here.
Captain: Decides where to sail, what
targets to attack, how and where to dispose of captured ships and cargo. Gives
sailing directions and navigates.
Ship's Healer: Heals the sick and cares
for the injured on board, especially after
sea battles. This ship's officer is usually a
cleric who has left a temple to join the
Privateer's Guild.
Quartermaster: Oversees ship's supplies and cargo and the execution of ship
maintainance specialties. An officer.
Cook: Keeps track of provisions and
feeds the crew. Has one or more apprentices.
Sailmaker: Makes and repairs sail. Usually a former member of the Guild Elsan
sailmakers. Has one or more apprentices.
Ship's Carpenter: In charge of ship
repairs and construction of barrels and
other needed items. Has one or more
apprentices.

^XHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMHHHre-tHraK^^

First Mate: Executes captain's orders

and gives sailing directions when captain
is below decks. Often navigates.
An officer.
Second Mate: Relays first mate's orders
to crew and directly supervises the work.
Is in charge of ship's weapons locker,
weapons training, and battle station
drills; sometimes navigates. A junior officer.
Third Mate: This rank is found only on
larger ships (crew of 40 or more) and is
the most junior officer position. Third
mate has nominal authority over the
members of one watch but does the same
work they do. Is usually chief of a watch
or is in charge of undesirable details:
careening hull, fetching water, shifting
ballast, etc.
Helmsman: Steers ship. Answerable to
the officer of the watch (usually the ranking officer on deck); reports weather
changes and sea conditions that affect
navigation.
Boatswain (pronounce bo' sun): Chief
petty officer in charge of the crew and
special work details that take care of
ship's boats, rigging, weapons, etc.
Sometimes takes charge of a single watch
and acts as its chief.
Chief Boatswain's Mate: This petty
officer carries out the boatswain's orders
and enforces discipline among the crew.
Supervises work details and is chief of a
watch.
Crew: On an adequately-manned ship,
crew is divided into three watches of at
least 10 men each, each working one 8hour shift on deck. Crew members not on
watch perform special detail work or
sleep. All watches can be turned out at
any time required to handle the ship, as is
necessary during heavy weather or when
maneuvering in battle.

Skills
When a scupper joins us, I be the mate
that watches close, see what he be likely
for. Be he nimble, I put him topside in
the riggin' soon as he knows a sheet from
a shroud. Have he a sharp eye for distance, I put him on a ballista crew, or
mayhap the catapult. Be he nearsighted,

then off he trots to the sailmaker or the

cook.
Not all privateers be sailors proper, but
even the cook's 'prentice spends time in
theriggin'. And I make sure they alUearn
to use a cutlass, while the artful ones and
elves use the bow. A sharp-eyed elfin the
rigging can't be beat for sniping, and
sometimes it saves the fight!
Minrothad privateers and other pirates
have a variety of skills not covered in the
D&D game books. Using the skills rules
described in the Adventurer's Guide, the
DM may assign appropriate skills from
the list below or allow player characters to
chose their own. All privateer characters
start with Boat Sailing and Ship Sailing.
(If a character is a water elf of Guild
Elsan, he already has the Boat Sailing
skill; taking that skill again improves his
score by +1.)
Artillery: (Intelligence). Character
knows how to use catapults or balhstae
aboard ship.
Boat Sailing: (Intelligence). Skill
allows character to sail boats (but not
ships).
Cookery: (Intelligence).
Long-Sight: (Intelligence). Character
knows how to scan the ocean in a search
pattern designed to reveal things that
would be missed by the untrained eye.
This is learned on the ocean, but works
anywhere there is a wide vista. He can differentiate land from the horizon and
clouds and has good distance vision
(improved by practice).
Navigation: (Intelligence). Character
knows how to get from one place to
another by the stars and the sun. He can
read charts and maps and track his relative position.
Rigging: (Intelligence). Character has
the skills to make, maintain and repair a
vessel's rigging. This includes sailmaking, rope splicing, arranging blocks and
tackle, and setting rigging on a boat or
ship.
Rigging Combat: (Dexterity). Character is skilled in fighting from and in a
ship's rigging. A character who makes
this skill roll at the start of a fight has no
penalty to hit for archery or melee combat

Piuates of tlje MiNnotljab Isles

in the rigging. Failure gives a penalty of
-3.
Ship Sailing: (Intelligence). Character
knows how to sail a ship. This skill does
not give him the ability to navigate it.
Swimming: (Constitution).
Ship Carpentry: (Intelligence). Character can make common shipboard
repairs, including to masts and yardarms,
and can build barrels, boxes, and other
containers.
Vessel Identification: (Intelligence).
Upon seeing a vessel, the character can
judge things about it by her lines, rigging, and flags, if any. Use of this skill
gives a good idea of the ship's country of
origin, its type, armament, and crew
compliment.

RcfeueeiNQ Pinate
ENCOUNtCRS
When we come on a likely ship, we
chase her down and board her. Sometimes they give up easy. If not, well, we
do what we have to. Then we take her cargo, scuttle the ship and put her crew and
passengers ashoreor we 're supposed to,
anyway, says the guild master.
If the ship looks good, we put a prize
crew aboard instead o'sinkin' her. They
take her to Cove Harbor, our hidey place,
and refit her for privateer work. Or, if she
don't look quite so good, we sell her in a
foreign port.
lerendi Navy is something to avoid all
the time, though we might try to take a
navy ship from a different country.
Pirates we always have a tussle with, especially lerendi pirates. They got the speed,
but we got the weapons. There's more
than one o'their ships has been made part
o'the privateer fleet, and the Radiant's
one of 'em!
The secret of Minrothad pirate success
is their use of fast ships and endless training. Theit ships are faster than most naval
and merchant vessels and the crews drill
continuously with artillery and melee
weapons so they can prevail in boarding
actions.
A ship that cannot flee a pirate vessel
must fight. The outcome of a sea chase

and battle can be determined using the

rules described in the Expert Rulebook,
pages 43-44; GAZ 4, The Kingdom of
lerendi; or the Sea Machine, described in
module Ml, Into the Maelstrom.
If the DM wants to play a ship-to-ship
encounter in more detail, the following
method can be used. It does not attempt
to resolve complex ship maneuvers such
as ramming and side-swiping to break
oars or the use of magic, which is handled
as necessary by the DM whenever a spell is
cast. Also, it has assigned arbitrary, average statistics to ships and crew for ease of
reference. These numbers can be altered
by the DM as desired for a particular
encounter.
Step 1. When vessels are in range, conduct artillery fire.
A privateer carries one ballista mounted at the bow, one in the waist of the
ship, and a catapult at the stern. An enemy merchant has none or one of these
weapons, while naval vessels carry the
same number or more. The DM decides
what armament the enemy ship carries.
Artillery weapons fire once every four
rounds. Characters can use their Artillery
skill to determine if individual fire hits
the target. NPC crews use these Artillery
skills:
Minrothad privateers:
lerendi Navy:
lerendi pirates:
Thyatian Navy and pirates:
Other navies:
Merchants (all):

16
17
15
15
14
10

Skill rolls are penalized by + 1 for every

armor class point the target vessel has
below 10.
A catapult has a range of 150 to 300
yards; a ballista, from 0 to 200 yards.
Each does 3d6 points of damage. Burning
material from a catapult causes Id6
points per turn of burning. An Artillery
skill check that is 10 points or more below
the number needed strikes the enemy
ship below the watetline (if a ballista) or
in the mast or oars (if a catapult), and
does three times the damage rolled.

14

Step 2. Adjust movement rates and hull

points remaining.
Damaged ships move more slowly; sufficiendy damaged ones sink. Keep track of
damage done and refer to the following
chart to determine movement. Movement
is given in yards per round. The ship sinks if
hull points reach 0, and all but galleys lose
all headway when three-quarters destroyed.
The crew figure is the number of crew that
fight in a boatding action. Deduct any
crewmen slain from that number.
Ship Hull Points and Movement
Vessel
Minrothad
Pirates
(AC 7,
Crew 50)

HP/
MV: Starting 3/4

/z

'/*

HP:

100

75

50

25

MV:

40

30

20

lerendi Navy* HP:

120
90
60
(AC 6,
Crew 75)
MV: 20/40 15/30 10/20
lerendi Pirates HP:
(AC 7,
Crew 40)
MV:
Thyatian
Navy
(ACS,
Crew 30)
Thyatian
Pirates
(AC 7,
Crew 35)
Merchants
(any)
(ACS,
Crew 20)

HP:
MV:

0
30
5/0

90

68

45

23

50

40

25

90

68

45

23

30/50 20/40 10/25

5/0

HP:

70

53

35

18

MV:

50

40

25

HP:

160

120

80

40

MV:

40

30

20

* assumes a large galley, not a war galley

Step 3. Determine results of archery.

Privateer battle stations include one
watch of 10 pirates with Rigging Combat
skill shooting arrows from the rigging.
Characters without Rigging Combat skill
shoot at 3 to hit. Archers targeting a
specific enemy, rather than shooting into
groups of sailors, have an additional 6
to hit. The DM should apply other modifiers as desired to teflect range, wind, and
sea conditions.
The average sailor is AC 9, has 10 hit
points, and fights as a 3d-level Fighter.
PCs can be allowed to resolve fire individually. Slain NPCs are deducted from the

Piuates of t)7 MiNuotijao Isles

enemy ship's crew total. For massed NPC
archers shooting from the rigging, the
DM need only roll a Id20. On a result of
15 or greater, the ship which is the
archers' target loses 5 percent of its crew
(round up). Enemy fire at the PC ship is 5
percent likely to strike a PC. If hit, resolve
damage normally.
Step 4. Resolve boarding action.
Within 20 yards, grappling irons can
be thrown to lash ships together and
boarding planks lowered. There is an 80
percent chance that the pursuing ship
successfully grapples and boards the other. If that roll fails, the ships drift apart.
Five rounds elapse before the pursuer can
close a second time. During that period
the results of maneuvering and additional missile fire are resolved.
Once secured to each other, boarding
action begins. Mass combat can be
resolved with War Machine or Sea
Machine methods. PCs should be
allowed to select individual fights if
desired until the mass melee comes to a
conclusion. Sailors fight with cutlasses
that cause 1-8 points of damage.
If the crew of the attacking ship loses
the fight, they are chased back onto their
own vessel by their enemy unless they can
cast loose and escape. The winners of the
encountet may do as they please with the
ship, cargo, and crew they have won.

Canqo

Sljanes

Cargo values can be set with the system

described under Trade in this book. The
profit from a sold ship or cargo is divided
among the crew according to the shares
each is entitled to (see the Ranks table)
after 30 percent is set aside for the coffers
of the Privateers Guild. Total shares are
summed up and the booty or profit is
divided by that number, giving the value
to be paid for each share.
For example, assume a boat crew of
three pirates and an officer is due a total
of 12 shares between them. If the booty is
worth 120 gp, each share is worth 10. The
officer, who receives six shares, gets 60 gp
and the pirates, with two shares apiece,
get 20 gp each.

Sailon's "Cnicks
There be tricks to the trade in the Privateer line o'work. Any sailor knows
about 'em, but it's how and when you use
'em that makes you a privateer.
Some of these tips and tricks are used
for commonplace sailing problems and
others are for less legitimate purposes.
Getting Afloat: A vessel that ran
aground can wait for the tide to turn and
float it off the obstruction. If the ship got
hung up at high tide, it can only be
refloated by towing. It can be towed by
another vessel or it can tow itself by kedging. During kedgmg, a ship's boat rows
out with a length of cable and the ship's
anchor. The anchor is dropped and the
cable taken up on the capstan. In this
way, a ship can winch herself off an
obstruction.
Sailing: A ship trying to make speed
sometimes has its sails drenched with
water. Wet canvas holds the wind better,
improving speed by 5 to 10 percent. A
ship cutting upwind of another can steal-

ing more quickly while the downwind

ship slows. Roll 2dlO; increase one ship's
speed and decrease the othet by the same
percentage.
Raids: A ship's lights are visible for
miles at night. For this reason, pirate
ships on a raid or escaping pursuit sometimes run with no lights at night. When
pirates want to acquire at ship at anchor
in harbor, a number of them sneak up to
the vessel in rowboats, climb aboard,
overpower the crew (or try to), and sail
the ship out of the harbor.
In Port: Pirate crews might pass as merchant crews in port to sell their catgo.
When selling a captured ship, her sail
configuration and rigging is often
changed to alter her lines, an easy identifier among those who know ships. Names
and identifying marks are changed as
well, and papers are often forged.
Magic: Dweomers which protect or
help ships are highly sought, very expensive, and kept very secret. Fire resistance
and wind spells are two of the most popular.

MeRcfjaNt-PuiNces of
"If you want to trade with the Minrothad Guilds, the merchant-princes hold
the real power. They have the wealth to
back up trade decisions and they're left
alone at sea because of that strange magic
they know."
Tedor, a Darokin import merchant
"Flamboyant fellows they are, all
puffed up with themselves. So they can
conjure elementals. So can any Glantri
lord worth the name! But Minrothaddans
regard them as nobility for their spellcastingasmuch as their money... Hmm. Perhaps they're learning something from us
after all."
Vinciento de Belcadiz, Glantri
Ambassador to Minrothad
Master craftsmen often go on trading
voyages with Minrothad ships carrying
goods from their guild. In this way, the
master can handle buying and selling in
person when port is reached rather than
relying on the ship captain or the Minrothad port agent to conduct his business
for him.
Even more often, ship captains purchase guild cargos or carry them on consignment and do their own trading in
foreign ports. Whether master or ship's
captain, these persons represent the
Minrothad Guilds overseas and have the
buying and selling power to back up their
trade agreements.
These Minrothad master traders came
to have much power and influence as
guild representatives. Too, in Minrothad
there is a long tradition of magic used on
shipboard to aid in / / seafaring. Since
most elvish captains, at least, knew a little
sea or weather magic, the combination of
merchant skill and spellcasting became
identified as one in the person of the
Minrothad trader.
The utility of sea and weather magic
could not be denied and as the guilds
became more powerful, Minrothad captains aspired to its mastery. Spellcasters
who were also master traders and experienced captains came to represent the
epitome of guild aspirations.
Enough captains actually fit this mold
that their class and status are formalized
in Minrothad with the acknowledgement

of a caste designation and social perquisites. The merchant-prince is now a recognized profession in the Minrothad
Guilds, a respected and powerful character class at home and abroad.

BecoMJNQ a
A craftsman or ship captain must reach
master level in his craft and be an experienced trader before he can apply for
training to become a merchant -prince.
That training is magical in nature, for
once the mundane experience is
acquired, it is the mastery of seafaring
magic that turns a master into a
merchant-prince.
The Tutorial Guild's associate Guild of
Instruction oversees the education of
aspiring merchant-princes. The master of
instruction, the water elf Holea Mapseir,
personally approves applicants for and
affirms graduates from this training program.
A player running a Minrothad Guilds
character might wish to become a
merchant-prince. This should be possible
but, as with NPCs, the character must
first become a successful trader and a
master-level guildsman. This could be
one of the objectives of a campaign , for it
requires quite an investment of time and
much character development. The system
for developing characters through guild
ranks is described under Guild Trade.

CljaRacteR ReguiueMCNts
Only humans or elves can become
merchant-princes. Most members of this
class are ship captains, but any masterlevel character who plans on regular seafaring can apply. Characters must meet
these prerequisites and accomplish the
following things.
The character must have an Intelligence of at least 12 and Dexterity of at
least 9 He must have the Bargaining or
Appraisal skill and have improved it at
least one point over his native Intelligence score (see Skills in the Adventurer's Guide).
16

He must have attained master level in

one skill relevant to his guild.
He must show a personal income from
trading ventures of at least 20,000 gp
per year for the last four years.
There is a 40 percent chance that an
applicant will be accepted by the Tutorial
Guild for merchant-prince training,
though there is no guarantee that he will
master the magic and become a
merchant-prince. If accepted, the training is free, because of the long-term benefits to the Minrothad Guilds. If refused,
an applicant must wait a year to reapply.
The odds of being accepted are modified
by these factors:
+ 5 percent for each point of Charisma
over 14;
+ 5 percent per 10,000 gp/year income
over the 20,000 gp/year minimum;
+ 10 percent for reaching craft master
level in your guild;
+10 percent for owning one ship of 60
hull points or more;
+ 5 percent for each ship owned in excess
of one;
+ 15 percent for sea magic already known
(in the case of a water elf or human
magic-user);
+ 20 percent for holding master rank in
more than one guild skill.

Magical 'CRaiNiNQ
Spell casting is an integral part of the
merchant-prince's repertoire. Because
characters of any class can become
merchant-princes, characters of any class
can apply for magical training in Minrothad.
Training is an apprenticeship in magic
which lasts ld4 + 3 years. This education
is interrupted whenever the character is
absent from Minrothad; if he takes study
materials with him and makes a serious
effort to learn them, he can complete one
month of studies in four months abroad.
Three-quarters of this instruction period
must be completed in person in Minrothad for the character to benefit from it.
At the end of his apprenticeship, the
character acquires the Merchant-Prince
Magic skill. This skill is used only to

of
determine when a character becomes
capable of casting spells and has nothing
to do with the success of spellcasting
itself.
The Merchant- Prince Magic skill is
based on Intelligence. A character's skill
score must be at least 15 for him to be
capable of casting these spells. If his score
is less than 1 5 , it reflects that he has mastered the theory behind this magic but
needs additional study time to put it into
practice.
A skill below 15 can be improved in the
regular manner (see the Adventurer's
Guide). A character with a MerchantPrince Magic skill of 15 is a 1st level
merchant-prince and can learn and cast
spells available to that class.
^YT* Pirn PIT r""""irvM
The merchant- prince uses a separate
XP progression table to determine when
he receives more spells. A player character
can apply XP to his regular class or apply
them to his merchant-prince magic progression. Elves and humans use the same
table to determine spell casting advancement. Since elves developed much of this
magic, they advance as quickly as do
humans, which is still somewhat slower
than a magic-user norm. Elves who are
taught higher spells by Minrothad water
elves can progress beyond the 10th level
of experience in terms of their merchantprince spell-casting abilities.
(In effect, a merchant-prince operates in
two character classes at once: his original
class and the merchant-prince class. However, he advances at the rate shown on the
Merchant-Prince Experience Table. The
spell progression on this table supercedes
that of elves, magic-users, and clerics,
though members of those classes have a
wider range of spells to choose from.)

C^e Spells
Water elves combined their own spells
with Alphatian magic designed for use at
sea. This was the basis for the spells and
magical practices which have since
become the province of merchantprinces.

Merchant-Prince Experience Table

Spells by spell level
Level

XP

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

0
3,500
7,000
15,000
30,000
60,000
120,000
225,000
350,000
550,000
750,000
900,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,000
2,000,000
2,400,000
2,800,000
3,100,000

1
2
2
2
2

13
14
15
16
17
18

19
20

3
3
4

4
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
8
8
8
8

1
2
2
2
2
3

2
2
2

4
4

Ficst Level Spells

1. Clear Sight
2. Douse Flame
3. Faerie Fire
4. Light *
5. Locate Sea life (K)
6. Oilskin
7. Precipitation (K)
8. Read Magic
9. Resist Cold
10. Sea Legs
11. Tar
12. Warp Wood
Second Level Spells
Careen
Entangle
Nightwatch
4. Obscure * (K)
5. Predict Weather (K)
6. Purify Food and Water *

5
5
6
6
7

6
6

8
8
8
8

3
3
4
4
5

Many water elves can cast some of these

spells, but only merchant-princes have
the full range available to them. Spells
marked with (K) are granted to keepers of
the Water Elf clan relic (see Secrets of the
Water Elves),
An asterisk shows that the spell can be
cast in its reverse form.

17
JrtraHKHHraOfetHKMHHKHHJ-U^^^

7
7
8

1
2
2
2

3
3

2
2

4
4
5
5
6
6

3
3
4
4

7
7

5
6

3
3
4
4
5

7. Produce Fire
8. Rot
9. Web
Third Level Spells
1. Call Lightning
2. Dispel Fog (K)
3. Fireball
4. Lightning
5. Water Breathing
6. Watery Form (K)
Fourth Level Spells
1. Ball Lightning
2. Protection From Lightning
3. Talk to Sea Creatures (K)
4. Transmute Water to Ice
Fifth Level Spells
1. Control Winds
2. Summon Sea Creatures
3. Summon Weather
Sixth Level Spells
1. Calm Water
2. Calm Wind
3. Weather Control
Seventh Level Spells
1. Summon Air Elemental
2. Summon Water Elemental

1
1
2
2

3
4

MeRcl7aNt-PRiNces of MiNROtljaD
Finst Level Spells
Cleat Sight ( u u )
Range: Touch
Duration: 2 rounds per level of caster
Effect: makes distant spot look close

Duration: 6 turns
Effect: detects one sea creature within 1
mile

When this spell is cast, any spot up to

one mile distant can be viewed as if it
were only 10 feet away. The person affected by the spell need only pick a spot and
concentrate his attention on it and the
image becomes larger. The area viewed is
a circle up to 70 feet in diameter.
Tactics: used to identify distant objects
at sea.

This spell allows the caster to sense the

direction of one known, normal sea creature or plant. The merchant-prince cannot locate fantastic creatures, plant
monsters, or intelligent beings. He must
name the exact type of sea life he seeks.
The creature or plant gets no Saving
Throw.
Tactics: used to locate schools offish for
food, kelp beds which might be a navigation hazard, and similar things of interest.

Douse Flame

Oilskin < M hi

(M*>

Range: 50'
Duration: 1 round per level of caster
Effect: extinguishes small flames

Range: touch
Duration: 2 turns per level
Effect: keeps precipitation off one person

When cast, any single nonmagical

flame within 50 feet is snuffed out immediately. The fire can be rekindled but will
go out again as long as the spell is in
effect. Flames that can be extinguished
by this spell are those the size of lanterns,
torches, campfires, braziers, and so on.
Tactics: Used to put out shipboard fires
such as those ignited by flaming arrows or
to extinguish fires on an enemy ship (lanterns, burning arrows, etc).

This spell prevents fog, rain, waves,

hail, and other forms of precipitation
from touching the person (or small
object) it is cast upon. Precipitation
comes within an inch of the person's
body, but strikes an invisible barrier and
does not penetrate to the clothes or skin.
The spell is also effective against wetting
by waves. The barrier does not effect any
kind of missile or other object, only the
above-stated items.
A person under this spell can see more
clearly than most in driving rain because
none gets into his eyes. If struck by a
wave, he remains dry, but if immersed in
the ocean the mass of water is sufficient to
overcome the barrier and he will become
wet. Once out of the ocean, however, the
spell will still work against precipitation.
Tactics: Used to protect crew suddenly
turned topside in bad weather if they
have no protective gear or if it is already
soaked from waves and weather.

Faerie Fire

(AfA-J

Range: 60'
Duration: 1 round per level of caster
Effect: illuminates creatures or object
This spell is identical to the Druid spell
of the same name.
Tactics: illuminates opponents or shipboard items (rigging, yardarms, etc.) in
night action.
light *

IAU-;

Range: 120'
Duration: 6 turns + 1 turn per level of
caster
Effect: 30' diameter sphere of light
This spell is identical to the first level
magic-user spell.
Locate Sea Life

t> ^

Range: 0 (Merchant-prince only)

H^O-y-tHHra-Q-U-M-MHHHHH^^

Precipitation

{WW)

Range: 10' per level

Duration: 1 round per level
Effect: creates light rain in 30' + 10' per
level diameter
This spell takes the water vapor in the
area of effect and turns it into a light rain.
Note that a low level merchant-prince is

caught in the effect of his own spell.

Except when used by high level characters, the principal effect of this spell is to
dampen clothing and sails, film decks
with water (making footing uncertain),
and snuff out fires. The rain turns into
obscuring fog of double its normal area
when it hits fire magic (such as wall of
fire). If the weather is below freezing, the
rain turns into sleet (between 31 and 33
degrees F) or snow (below 31 degrees F).
Magical cold (such as ice storm)
applied to the result of the precipitation
turns it into ice.
Tactics: Snuff fires, wet sails, or ice
opponents' decks and rigging during sea
action.
Read Magic >'"
Range: 0'
Duration: 1 turn
Effect: allows caster to read magic
This spell is identical to the 1st level
magic-user spell.
Resist Cold f A x J t )
Range: 0'

Duration: 6 turns
Effect: all creatures within 30'
This spell is identical to the clerical
spell of the same name.
Tactics: Inures crew to bad weather
when fighting winter storms.
Sea Legs (AH-)
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour per level
Effect: stops seasickness and gives
improved balance on deck
This spell stops the effects of oncoming
or actual seasickness in the person it is cast
upon. If unable to do so before, that person also gains the ability to balance and
maneuver easily even on a violently heaving deck, just as the most experienced
sailor would do. At DM's discretion, a
person under the effects of this spell need
not make Dexterity checks for shipboard
actions in stormy weather that could easily be done in calm weather.
This spell can be reversed, also, in
which case the target of the spell must

MencljaNt-PniNces of MiNROtl?aC)
make a Dexterity check at the beginning
of every round when he moves or attacks.
Failure means the character falls down.
Another Dexterity check is required to
stand up.
Tactics: Used to help new seamen when
their healthy services are urgently needed, as during a sea battle, and to aid
selected passengers so they can function
adequately.

Tar

All-

Range: 30'
Duration: permanent
Effect: coats item with tar
When this spell is cast, a specified item
is tarred. Tar weatherizes ropes on shipboard and caulks the planks of a ship.
This spell produces enough tar to coat a
50' length of rope or to caulk a 5' x 10'
section of planking on a ship. The tar is
normal in all respects and ignites easily if
it comes in contact with flame. An application of turpentine is required to temove
it.
Tactics: A common shipboard utility
spell, this is also used as an offensive nuisance by casting it on the hands, feet
and/of face of enemy sailors. One opponent can be tarred per spell.
Warp Wood

Alt

Range: 240'
Duration: permanent
Effect: causes wooden items to bend
This spell is identical to the 1st level
druid spell except that it also affects shipboard items of wood as well as weapons.
One belaying pin can be warped for every
four levels of the spellcaster; the arm of a
catapult or one small yardarm requires
eight levels; a medium yardarm 16 levels,
a rudder or large yardarm 20, and a mast
or keel can only be warped by a spellcaster
of 25th level or greater. A warped keel
makes a ship spring leaks and reduces its
speed to one-third normal.
Tactics: Used to affect sailing of artillery capabilities of an enemy vessel.

SecoNO Level Spells

Careen

A't

Range: 30'
Duration: permanent
Effect: removes barnacles and sea growths
from the hull of a ship
At least once a year or every 10,000
miles of travel (whichever comes first), a
ship's hull must be scraped clean of sea
growths which hinder its speed in the
water. This spell accomplishes that chore
magically, affecting a 20'x20' area of hull.
Careen is also used offensively,
although that was not its original intent.
When cast on a person, a saving throw is
allowed. If it fails, the victim is scraped
and abraded by the magical force, inflicting Id8 points of damage plus 1 point per
level of the spell caster.
Entangle

A Ur

Range: 30'
Dotation: 1 round per level
Effect: controls ropes
This allows the merchant-prince to use
any ropelike object of organic material
(vine, hemp, etc.anything that was or
is alive) to behave as he or she orders.
Unlike the elvish entangle spell (GAZ5),
this is designed for ropes common on
shipboard. The spell affects a 20-foot
length of rope up to 1.5 inches in diameter, plus 5 feet per level of caster. The
commands given under an entangle spell
include: coil (form a neat stack), coil and
knot, loop, loop and knot, tie and knot,
and the feverses of all the above. The type
of knot is any sailors' knot mentally pictured by the spell caster. The rope must
be within 1 foot of any object it is to coil
around or tie up.
Tactics: used on enemy ships to collapse sails, foul rigging, and ensnare sailors.
Nightwatch

A11

Range: touch
Duration: special
Effect: allows one to see things at night as
if it were day
The person on whom this spell is cast

perceives a dark scene as if it were daylight. This enhanced vision is only effective outdoors. The spell can be cast no
more than two hours before sunset; the
duration of the effect is from nightfall
until sunrise.
During that period, the fecipient can
see details clearly and maneuver as if in
daylight, even though it is night. He suffers no penalties fof darkness when fighting.
Objects are clearly discernible up to
200 feet away but beyond that things are
fogged by a gray haze where the spell
effect expires. The person affected by this
spell is unable to see even a brightly-lit
object, such as a burning ship, that is further away than 200 feet.
Tactics: Usually cast on a night watchman so that he has a clear view of things
immediately on and around the ship.
Such a watchman also has a partner with
normal sight who can see beyond the 200foot limit.
Obscure * A J t
Range: 0 (merchant-prince only)
Duration: 1 turn per level of the caster
Effect: creates a huge misty cloud
This spell is identical to the 2d level
druid spell. The reverse form, reveal,
clears real fog away. Magical fog is not
affected.
Tactics: Helps hide a ship when evading pursuit or conceals its approach. Most

MeRctjaNt-PniNces of MiNROtl7at>
often used in the Sea of Dread where fog
and mist are common.
Predict Weather

PW

Range: 0 (merchant-prince only)

Duration: 12 hours
Effect: gives knowledge of coming weather
This spell is identical to the 1st level
druid spell. In addition, if cast when a
ship is becalmed, this spell gives knowledge of what direction the next winds are
coming from and approximately how
long before they arrive.
Purify Food and Water

Alt

Range: 10'
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Makes food and water safe to consume
Identical to the 1st level clerical spell.
The reverse form, spoil food and water,
ruins food.
Tactics: Used on ships' stores if and
when necessary, especially on long voyages. The reverse is used at times on the
food supply of enemy vessels or camps in
covert operations.
Produce Fire

Wb

Range: 0 {Merchant-prince only)

Duration: 2 turns per level
Effect: creats fire in hand
This spell is identical to the 2d level
druid spell.
Tactics: Used offensively in shipboard
combat.

Rot

A'te

Range: 360'
Duration: 1 round/level
Effect: causes wood, leather and cloth to
rot and break
This spell is cast on a single item chosen
by the spellcaster. The designated material (wood, leather or cloth) then begins to
rot and decay. The spell affects 1 foot of
rope or leather pet level, or 1 square foot
of cloth, or 3 cubic inches of wood.
An item may not completely decay,
but enough damage is often done that
the item becomes useless. In particular,

sails, ropes, and masts or yardarms affected by this spell are likely to give way in
the next strong wind. A sail in a full wind
that rots is blown out and ripped at the
weakened spot and the entire sail is made
useless.
Tactics: Used to disable sailing rigging
on enemy ship.

Web
Range: 50'
Duration: 1 turn per level of caster
Effect: creates a web of sticky sttands
Except as noted above, this is identical
to the 2d level magic-user spell.
Tactics: Used in boarding actions to
foul enemy ship and sailors. If cast into a
ship's rigging, any change of heading or
speed requires a Sailing check with a + 1
penalty for each web spell.

t77/KO Level Spelts

Call Lightning

All-

Range: 360'

Duration: 1 turn per level of caster

Effect: calls lightning bolts from storm
This spell is identical to the 3d level
druid spell.
Tactics: Used offensively in shipboard
combat.
Dispel Fog

WV

Range: 20' per level of caster

Duration: permanent
Effect: removes fog from area
This spell eliminates normal and magical fog from a spherical area with the
diameter indicated by the spell's range.
Only fog and mist is affected, not bodies
of water, rain, or other precipitation. The
fog dispelled is gone permanently, but
the empty volume may be filled in again
by new fog if there is a sufficient quantity
in the area. However, a dispelled area
stays clear for one turn per level of the
caster regardless of other conditions.
Tactics: Used to avoid navigation hazards and locate hidden vessels, and to
counter magical fogs such as those caused
by obscure spells.

20
ft*WHHMMHHHHHHraHHHraraHfQii^

Fire Ball

Ivec

Range: 240'
Duration: instantaneous
Effect: explosion in a 40'-diameter sphere
This spell is identical to the 3d level
magic-user spell.
Tactics: Used in sea combat only when
an enemy ship is intended to be
destroyed, not captured.
Lightning

Range: 180'
Duration: instantaneous
Effect: lightning bolt 60' long, 5' wide
This spell is identical to the 3d level
magic-usei spell.
Tactics: Used to destroy selected pans
of a ship.
Water Breathing

MK

Range: 30'
Duration: 1 hour per level of caster
Effect: allows person to breathe underwater
This spell permits one person to
breathe under water at any depth. It does
not affect movement in any way nor does
it interfere with the breathing of air.
Watery Form

K\V

Range: 0 (merchant-prince only)

Duration: 1 turn per level
Effect: gives caster a watery form

*Cl)e MeRCljaNt-PKiNces of MiNROtfjao

When affected by this spell, the caster
and anything he wears turns into what
appears to be a puddle of water. This
form cannot be absorbed or divided into
smaller parts. It has the same hit points
and strength of the spellcaster and moves
at one-third his movement rate on land or
in the water.
While in this form, the spellcaster
blends undetectably with a body of
water, wet spots on deck, and so on. The
form does not drown in water and can
swim at any depth the spellcaster chooses.
If desired, the form can flow out of the
ocean, up the side of a ship, and onto
deck. This is as exhausting to the spellcaster as if he had climbed that distance
in his regular shape.
If the form is attacked it remains in one
piece but the spellcaster suffers damage.
Weapons inflict normal damage and other objects injure as determined by the
DM.
Tactics: This spell is excellent for concealment or for approaching a target
unseen.

Level Spells
Ball Lightning
Range: 180'
Duration: 1 round per level of caster
Effect: one or more balls of lightning
This spell creates one ball of lightning
for every five levels of the caster. Each ball
can be sent to a different target. A ball of
lightning flies through the air to strike its
target. Once there, it moves rapidly (120
feet per round) along surfaces in random
directions: up masts, along the deck,
down stairwells, etc. A ball of lightning
inflicts one point of damage per level of
the spell caster each time it touches a living object. There is a 10 percent chance
that each ball will come to rest in a certain
spot, such as the top of a mast or the end
of a yardarm. If so, it starts a small fire in
that place on a roll of 1 or 2 on Id6.
Tactics: Creates a nuisance and has
some offensive value when it doesn't
matter if the ship catches fire.

^"rv-J

Protection from Lightning A^j

Summon Sea Creatures

Range: touch
Duration: 1 turn per level of caster
Effect: protects against electrical attack

Range: 360'
Duration: 3 turns
Effect: calls and befriends normal sea
creatures

This spell is identical to the 4th level

druid speli.
Tactics: Cast onto a ship if magicallyproduced lightning might be used
against the vessel.
Talk to Sea Creatures

5 .w

Range: 30'
Duration: 2 rounds per level of caster
Effect: caster can communicate with sea
creatures
Under this spell the caster can talk with
and understand the language of any animal, fish, or shellfish of the sea. The spell
does not bring any creature to the caster,
though: the creature must alteady be
near the caster.
Tactics: Useful for learning information about local waters or events.
Transmute Water to Ice*

Alt

Range: 160'
Duration: 1 turn per level of caster
Effect: freezes water to ice
Both sea water and fresh water are
affected by this spell, which freezes 10
cubic feet of water per level of the castet.
A I6th-level merchant-prince can freeze
enough water to bind a 50-foot-long vessel in ice. The reverse, ice to water, is permanent unless the natural temperature is
cold enough to refreeze the water.
Tactics: Used to block inland waterways
with ice or render a vessel icebound.

Level Spelts
Control Winds

Mr-

Range: 10' radius per level of caster

Duration: 1 turn per level of caster
Effect: calms or increases winds
This spell is identical to the 5th level
druid spell.
Tactics: Used to aid maneuvering in
combat or to avoid sea hazards. Does not
last long enough to be used on long journeys nor to affect travel times.

This spell works as the 4th level druid

spell except that only normal sea creatures are summoned to the spellcaster.
Water elves never use this spell while fishing or harpooning for food.
Tactics: Used to gain information
about local waters or ships.
Summon Weather *
Range: 5 miles or more
Duration: 6 turns per level
Effect: brings weather to merchantprince's area
This spell is identical to the 6th level
druid spell. The reverse form dispels
stormy weather within the area of effect:
dispersing clouds, ceasing rain, etc. The
spellcaster can select the type of weather
he wants (refer to Weather Conditions
under Sailing Rules).
Tactics: Often used in conjunction with
predict weather spell.

Sixty Level Spells

Calm Water

All-

Range: 360 yards

Duration: 1 turn per level of caster
Effect: calms ocean and inland waters

Of MiNROtl)at>

Cl7

This spell reduces wave action in the area

of effect to the equivalent of calm seas
(see Weather Conditions under Sailing
Rules). Chop, whitecaps, and violent
storm waves are eliminated, although
there might be a noticeable swell in the
calm water if the sea itself is storm-tossed.
The reverse creates waves in the specified
area that are up to 1 foot tall per level of
the caster. A 20th level merchant-prince,
for example, can create 20-foot waves.
Tactics: Used when ships are damaged
and some respite from weather is needed.
The reverse is used to aggravate the problem for a damaged ship. Movement rates
are affected as explained under Sailing
Rules.
Calm Wind

&1V

Range: 360 yards

Duration: 1 turn per level of caster
Effect: calms winds
The spell creates an "eye of the storm"
effect, reducing even gale-force winds to
a breeze within the area of effect. Ocean
waves are unaffected by this spell, and
storm-tossed waters will continue to batter a ship even though the wind has
ceased. The spell has no effect on fog and
precipitation, only on the wind that
accompanies it.
Tactics: Used for respite from storms or
to steal the wind from another ship.

Weather Control

Range: 0 (merchant-prince only)

Duration: concentration
Effect: all weather within 240 yards
This spell is identical to the 6th level
magic-user spell.

Level Spells
Summon Air Elemental

(-S-<--<vJ

Range: 240'
Duration: 6 turns
Effect: summons one 16 HD elemental
This spell is identical to the 7th level
druid spell, but summons only an air elemental.
Tactics: Used to help or hinder a vessel's sailing.
Summon Water Elemental Qs ""-;

Range: 240'
Duration: 6 turns
Effect: summons one 16 HD elemental
This spell is identical to the 7th level
druid spell, but summons only a water
elemental.
Tactics: Used when the spellcaster
wants to effect local water conditions or
move a vessel in the water. Water elementals have been used to help ships escape
from whirlpools, for instance.

Magical
There are some rare items encountered in Mmrothad and on guild ships
that have been enchanted with
merchant-prince sea or weather magic.
They are sometimes given as gifts to
friendly traders and foreign sea captains, but are hardly ever for sale.
POUCl) Of
This looks like an ordinary leather
pouch, tied tightly shut and bulging
at the seams with its contents. It
weighs no more than the leather it is
made of, for the pouch contains
enchanted air. Once the pouch is

22

opened, a magical wind escapes that

does one of three things.
A fair breeze blows a steady wind in
the direction the user wants to travel,
lasting until his journey is complete.
This wind improves the vessel's movement rate by 10 to 60 percent for the
duration of the voyage. A contrary
wind decreases movement by the same
amount, blowing in the opposite
direction from whatever the ship's
heading might be. It Jasts until the
user puts ashore and waits one week to
continue his voyage.
Finally, the pouch may contain a
storm wind that immediately surrounds the user and his vessel with
gale force winds and stormy weather
lasting ld6 hours (treat as a hurricane
for weather effects, as explained under
Sailing Rules). The content of the
pouch is determined when it is made.
A pouch that is found has randomlydetermined contents.

Flask of Vapon This looks like a simple, stoppered

brass flask. When opened, fog pours
out until the flask is sealed once more.
The flask creates a disk of fog that is
100 feet across and 10 feet high (the
same as an obscure spell cast at 10th
level). Once that volume is filled, the
flask stops emitting fog, but if wind or
magic clears the mist away, the flask
once again pours forth vapor until the
total possible volume of area is
obscured.

OiJ
This is a one-pint flask of oil. When
the enchanted oil is poured onto
water, it stops violent seas and reduces
wave action around one ship to the
equivalent of calm water. The effect
lasts for one hour. Oil of stillness calms
normal waves as well as magicallyagitated water.

Quilt)
Some observations by Zcno Ironfist,
dwarf apprentice smith, Guild Hammer
"Thought I'd travel to Rockhome and
see where my grandfa' come from. But
I'm a 'prentice with no skill to trade for
passage. So I stowed aboard the Egret the
night they finished loading Guild Hammer swords.
"I got caught when we were right outside of Vorloi harbor. Captain Elsan lectured me in his cabin, but forgot me
quick when we made port. Customs
inspectors come aboard, the guild port
agent followed them, and three buyers
for nobles come right behind.
"I hunkered quiet in the corner and
took k all in. What a whirl! They shouted
bids and counterbids, talked percentages
and discounts and freight costs and warehouse feesand I crept out when they
started wavin' letters o'credit. They
weren't even dealing in good, hard coin.
That tradin' business is enough to give an
honest dwarf a headache."
International trading is a complex
affair. The basic steps are simple but the
variations that have developed are too
many to detail here. Nevertheless, it is
possible to give an overview of the trading
procedures followed by the Minrothad
Guilds.

Basic 'Cnafce
Guild ships ciewed by the Metchant
Sailor's Guild leave Minrothad with guild
cargos for foreign ports. At their destinations, the cargos are sold or traded for
other goods. The ships return to Minrothad or sail to other ports where cargos
not destined for the guilds can be sold.
Captain and crew are more often paid
in shares than in wages for their work.
The share system is explained under
Pirates of Minrothad. A ship's owner,
whether guild or individual, takes a cut
off the top before the shares are calculated. (Individuals may own ships, but
they are crewed by guild members and
the Merchant Sailors Guild still takes a
percentage of profits.)

fou Hiue
Roughly half of the cargo carried by
guild ships is transported for hire. That
is, a merchant (whether guild or otherwise) pays the guild captain to ship his
goods to a specific port. Minrothad
Guilds merchants pay only 40 percent of
the ptice charged to other tradets. A variable amount is charged, based on the volume, weight, and value of goods carried.
Shipping fees are reasonable and competitive with the rates charged by other merchant freightets.
Many guild ships specialize in the
transport for hire trade, especially those
ships run by junior captains. The Merchant Sailors Guild takes 60 percent of
the shipping fee paid and the remainder
goes to the ship's crew as shares.
Although it makes money with little risk,
this is the least profitable type of guild
trade for a captain and crew.
Transport runs usually follow a predictable schedule, and those that cross the
high seas and shipping lanes regularly are
often bothered by pirates. A typical
transport run might follow this sort of
pattern: take bricks from Fortress Island
to Minrothad; exchange bricks for dyed
cloth and lumber to be carried to Vorloi;
offload goods and pick up iron for
dwarves on Fortress Island.
CONSiQNMGNt TTRaOG About 20 percent of the business done
by guild ships is carrying guild goods on
consignment. In this semi-speculative
venture, a captain takes a cargo to a market suggested or prefered by the owner of
the cargo. The port is usually a place
where this type of cargo has done well
before. There, the captain or the guild's
representative sells the cargo for the best
possible price. Anywhere from 10 to 40
percent of that amount is retained by the
ship, with the remainder of the profit
paid to the cargo's owner when the ship
returns to Minrothad.

MOVINQ Up IN tl7
The guild system assumes that a
character starts out as an apprentice.
After two to seven years, he demonstrates skill in his craft and becomes a
journeyman. When a journeyman
shows mastery of his craft, he becomes
a master. This can take as little as one
year, or the journeyman might work at
it all his life.
Here is a simple system for rating
NPC skill mastery and guild rank. It
can also be used to gauge approximately where Minrothad PCs might
fall in the guild heirarchy. If used for
PCs, the DM should adjust ages to
reflect time spent in the guild system.
First, determine what guild the
character belongs to. Select one skill
which will be his craft specialty (skills
are given under Races and Guilds in
the Adventurer's Guide). Find the
character's Ability score with the chosen skill. That Ability score corresponds with his guild rank according to
the following table.
Guild
Rank

Guild
Skill

Typical
Caste

Ap
JJm
Jm
SJm
M
CM
GM

7-9
10-12
13-14
15-16
17
18
18-19

1
2
2
3
4
4
6

Abbreviations: Ap = Apprentice;JJm
= Junior Journeyman; Jm = Journeyman; SJm = Senior Journeyman; M
= Master; CM = Craft Master, meaning head craftsman of his skill in his
guild; GM = Guildmaster.
An NPC guildsman rolls Id20 and
compares the result to his Intelligence
score once every five game years. If the
roll is equal to or less than his score, he
gains another Skill choice, which can
be used to improve existing skills as
described in the Adventurer's Guide.

Quiio
This table is meant to be only a general guideline to the relationship
between craft skill and guild rank.
NPC age can be adjusted as needed to
reflect rank. For example, someone
with an Ability score of 17 is a master,
and will be much older than a beginning apprentice. Alternatively, if the
DM decides the NPC must be a certain
rank and his score does not suit it,
adjust the score as needed to reflect
training and advancement in the craft.
Remember, too, that not all qualified
craftsmen are promoted as they
deserve. It is entirely possible to have a
junior journeymen with an Ability
score of 17 in his specialty.
There is some risk in this type of venture, but the Merchant Sailors Guild
takes only 30 percent of the ship's profit,
and a good trade can put a large sum of
money in the pockets of captain and
crew. Too, once the consigned goods are
sold, there is empty hold space for the
captain to fill. If the guild port agent has
goods which must move somewhere, the
captain is obligated to take them. If not,
he may fill free hold space with speculative cargo or transport cargo for hire. If a
profit is made on the former, it belongs
solely to him and his crew.
On a typical consignment venture, a
ship might carry Guild Quickhand pottery to Thyatis. After the pottery is sold,
the ship is hited to carry Thyatian olive oil
to Specularum. The captain fills out
what's left of the hold space with a speculative cargo of local wine. The olive oil is
delivered to the Thyatian port agent in
Specularum and the wine sold for a profit
which remains with the ship's crew.
When the ship finally returns to Minrothad, the captain pays the Quickhand
Pottery Guild the profit from the sale of
their cargo, minus the consignment fee.

Speculative Caitqo
Whenever a captain buys cargo of his
own choice and sells it someplace he
thinks it will make a profit, he is engaging in speculative trade. Thirty percent of

the shipping carried by Minrothad ships

is speculative cargo bought and sold by
captains on behalf of themselves and
their shipping guild.
Speculative cargos are the riskiest kind
to carry. There is a good chance that
money will be lost on the deal. There is
also a good chance of making excellent
returns on the money invested, and that
is why the fortunes of most merchantprinces have been founded on clever
speculative trade. The Merchant Sailors
Guild takes only 20 percent of the profit,
and the rest belongs solely to the captain
and crew.
Transport for hire has made the Minrothad Guilds famous, but speculative
trade has made guildsmen rich. Clever
traders keep aware of these things before,
during, and after a trade:
The farther away goods are sold from
their port of origin, the more they are
usually worth because they are rare.
Avoid ports that trade heavily in the
same goods as those being carried.
They will bring a low price or lose
money.
Listen for events that affect trade. Wars
drive the price of goods up; famine
makes cheap grain a costly food
import.
Know the political climate befote port
is made. Some places charge prohibitive tariffs; others have customs agents
who like to issue fines or turn away
ships of a certain nationality.
Know the local customs. lerendi port
authorities can't be bribed and arrest
those who try. Thyatians expect to be
bribed, and won't clear a ship until
they are.

Port

AqeNts
Comments by Cpt. Satoso Elsan,
merchant-prince, the Egret
"Some call them port agents, some
call them factors. I call them bothersome.
"A factor is the Minrothad Guilds
representative in a foreign port or city.

24
i'XjWtHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHKHJatHH^^^

How tedious, to live in one place so

long! His life consists of nothing but
paperwork. Shipping manifests, caravan schedules, drafts for funds, special
orders from merchants who want
Minrothad goods. And the paperwork
doesn't stay with the factor, of course.
He has to share it. Usually with a captain who has better things to do with
his time.
"True, a factor can help sell a cargo,
or find one to ship. Even if you don't
want to ship it. He can demand you
take aboard the latest batch of pickled
hogsfeet and carry them to Vestland,
and there's nothing you can do about
it. If you don't have a prior commitment, off you go with hogsfeet to Vestland. Bah!
"At least they know their warehouses fairly well. Things are stored
there while awaiting shipment, or
until a slugabed merchant decides to
pick them up, or until customs clears
them . . . all kinds of reasons. But the
warehouses are a wonderful place to
browse, and the factor is the one who
can show you around. A lot of sales are
made directly out of the warehouse
of bulk goods, that is, and only
customs-cleared.
"I will admit, though, that there
are three things a factor is good for.
One is cash for operating expenses.
Another is help with bothersome port
authorities. The third is waterfront
news and trade information. Taxes,
quarantines, cheap goods, outbreaks
of warthey're up on it all. They even
know which sailor got drunk and
drowned in a puddle last week.
"Yes, they're usually there when
you need them. Though I don't much
care for their paperwork or their hogsfeet."

Quilt)
MiNKOtl7at> Navy
With so much attention focused on
the trading capabilities of the Minrothad Guilds, little is said about the
Minrothad Navy. The Navy is a small
force, intended primarily for coastal
patrol and protection of Minrothad's
fishing banks. It seldom leaves local
waters and is not considered to be a
serious naval threat by foreign countries.
In the past the Minrothad Navy has
served a useful purpose by discouraging colonial powers, such as Thyatis,
from extending into Minrothaddan
territory. The Navy has seldom had to
confront foreign vessels with force of
arms, since the treacherous Minrothad
waters are sufficient to discourage
most intruders. These naval ships
ignore the Privateers Guild unless they
stumble upon privateers attacking or
looting another vessel.
The Minrothad Navy consists of 10
ships, each armed with two catapults
and one ballista. Each is AC 7, with
100 hull points, a crew of 15 sailors
and 30 marines. The ships move 120
feet/round or 72 miles/day. They are
crewed by marines of the Mercenary
Guild, and by sailors of the Naval
Associate Guild of the Merchant Sailors Guild.

Type:
AC
HP
Speed: feet/rod
miles/day
Arty
Crew*
Marines
Food Storage
Cargo Capacity (en)
Cost

Construction Time

Quilt)

Sljips

The statistics given for merchant ships

under Pirates of Minrothad are those
which might be encountered in an average
merchant vessel. Minrothad Guilds merchantmen, however, are better built than
those of most nations. Today there are
three types of guild vessels which commonly ply the waters of the Known World.
Harbortown Trader: The Harbortown
trader is a heavy cargo vessel most often
used on scheduled routes and transportfor-hire runs. The ship is built to maximize cargo space, with extra clearance in
the cargo holds and wider hatches than
normal in the upper deck. Traders are prefered for the transportation of bulk cargos
such as timber and grain. Fifty percent of
Minrothad ships are Harbortown traders.
The two-masted version of this vessel
moves as swiftly as a common large cargo
ship, while the three-masted version is even
speedier. It is found either without artillery
or with one piece mounted in the bow or
stem. It is stable in tough weather but
requires an experienced crew for optimum
performance. The Harbortown tradet is
ideally suited for long-distance voyages.
When speed is not the overwhelming consideration, this is the ship most often seen
far from the Minrothad Isles.
Minroth Clipper: The Minroth clipper
is a small cargo ship, the latest refinement
in the square-rigged, water-elf-built vessels produced by the Minrothad Guilds.
This ship is longer in the keel and more

Harbortown Harbortown
Trader,
Trader,
3 masts
2 masts
7
7
170
170
140
120
84
72
0-1(1)
0-1(1)
20
35
50(2)
30(2)
2-3 months
2-3 months
300,000
300,000
35,700
42,800
20+ Id8 wks. 22 + Id8 wks.

Seahome
Schooner
8
80

140
84
1-3
10
10
3-4 weeks
40,000
14,400

5 + Id6 wks.

Minroth
Minroth
dipper,
clipper,
3 masts
4 masts
7
7
100
100
120
160
72
100
1-2(1)
1-2(1)
25
35
25(2)
25(2)
1-2 mos.
1-2 mos.
100,000
100,000
24,000
21,000
30 + Id8 wks. 30 + Id8 wks.

* Minrothad crews fight if they are attacked and act as marines during a sea battle. Since pirates do not expect
this, the number of combatants aboard Minrothad Guilds ships is often underestimated.
(1) plus one additional artillery piece on privateers and naval vessels.
(2) Found 100 percent of the time on privateers and Navy vessels, 50 percent of the time on guild merchant-

narrow of beam than any other merchant

vessel constructed today. The extra length
gives it great speed and compensates for the
hold space lost with the narrower beam.
There is an increasing trend to build these
vessels latger and larger, but they do not yet
match the Harbortown trader for size and
cargo capacity. Thirty percent of Guild
ships are Minroth clippers.
Minroth clippers are used primarily in
speculative trade which takes vessels away
from the regular sea lanes. They carry three
or four slim masts, and almost always have
one or two pieces of artillery mounted fore,
aft, or in the waist. They are less stable than
the Harbortown trader in rough weather
and an experienced crew is essential even
for commonplace maneuvers. These ships
are occasionally refitted and used by privateers because of their speed.
Seaborne Schooner: The Seahome
schooner is a smaller ship than the common
cargo vessels of the Minrothad Guilds. It is
used primarily in coastal waters and on
short cargo runs; it is also quite populat
with the Privateers Guild and the Minrothad Navy. Twenty percent of Minrothad
ships are Seahome schooners.
The Seahome Schooner is a fore-and-aft
rigged vessel, the newest innovation in
water elf ship design. The two-masted
design is exceptionally fast for its size. The
schooners used by the privateers and the
Navy accomodate one, two, or three pieces
of deck artillery.

Sl7ip CONSTRUCTION
Ship construction costs and times given
in the table below are for ships ordered
and built in Minrothad Guilds shipyards.
The guilds build ships only for guild
members. However, their vessels are sometimes for sale in foreign ports, usually a
badly-damaged ship that was captured in
a pirate attack. Minrothad designs ate copied by a few continental shipyards, but the
price is 50 to 100 percent higher and the
quality inferior to the real thing.
Construction costs given are for the
minimum number of artillery pieces. The
price is increased by 3,000 gp for each
additional catapult or ballista installed.
Artillery adds 3 percent to maintenance
and repair costs.

QuiiD
CauavaN
The Minrothad guilds have made their
fame and fortune carrying cargo on the
sea. But commerce has taken Minrothad
merchants far from the seashore as well.
A natural outgrowth of Minrothad's port
agent network are the caravan and freight
concerns that have sprung up to haul
goods to and from inland destinations.

CauavaN

Quiios

comments by Harmon Caetros,

Guild Port Agent, Specularum ,,,
senior port agent, I have a luxury my
underlings do not. I have the privilege
of overseeing the speculative end of
MGCC business.
"The MGCC is Minrothad's overland trade freight business. We take
orders for guild products, fill them in
the islands, carry the goods on our
ships, and provide our own transportation to the point of sale. Then we buy
cheaply in the hinterland and ship
goods back the same way to Minrothad. It's a very lucrative business,
providing there's a good spokesman
up front to coordinate the guild trading agents and give a good sales pitch
when needed. Ahem. That is the part
I play. Naturally.
"Caravan Captain Osner oversees
the daily details of the caravan organization, but I'm the one who decides
where MGCC caravans go in this part

of the continent. There's hard travel

involved in what I do, for I sometimes
go along to confer with the guild agent
in Alfheim, buy at a trade fair in Thyatis, and so on. We haul freight and
make deliveries in local areas as well
those within 50 miles of a port, say.
But it's the long distance caravan trade
that makes the money. And that
makes it all worthwhile."
Most guild trade goes to a destination
where a guild agent knows there are buyers for the goods. However, as with seaborne cargos, much caravan trade is done
on speculation. The Speculative Trade
system which follows details trading in
ship's cargos. It can be easily adapted to
overland trade by determining the
amount of cargo (measured in coins) a
pack animal or wagon can carry and using
the Speculative Trade procedures to buy
and sell that amount of cargo.
Characters can find employment with
caravans as guards or drovers. They may
also want to accompany a caravan because
it carries some trade goods of their own.
Finally, they may wish to travel with a caravan because it is going to their destination. Caravans are usually well-guarded
and are less likely to be waylaid by bandits than are smaller parties of travelers.

CanavaN
^comments by Cpt. Osner,
MGCC caravan leader
"I warned Caetros we needed more
guards. 'Oh no,' he said, 'we'll do fine.
We're only going to Alfheim, after all.'
He was watching his pursestrings, tightfisted guildsman that he is. I work for
them, but I don't have to like them.

26

We were into the forest there, not far

from Alfheim Town. It was then that
things lept out at us . . . don't ask me
what. Some abominations like they
have, creeping around that wood. Dark
and furry they were, and they stank of
carrion. Everyone fought, even the drovers, and Caetros was forced to pull out a
magic wand no one knew he had and
put it to use. He was white as a sheet by
the rime we drove away those creatures.
It was only his magic that saved us that
day, and he knew it. He's no fighter, and
he'd had quite a scare.
"He turned to me afterwards.
'When we get to Alfheim, look
around,' he said. 'I want you to hire
more guards.'
"It was all I could do not to say, 'I
told you so.' We've never been shorthanded since.

Shields and Devices of the Minrothad Guilds

Minrothad Guilds
(Ruling Guild Master)

Guild Corser

Home Guard Unit 1 or 2

Mercenary Guild
(Unit's number is placed
below sword pommel)

Guild Hammer

Guild Verdier

Guild Quickhand

Guild Elsan

Merchant Sailor Guild

Mercenary Guild: Marines

Speculative
Some of the ins and outs of merchant
shipping are covered in the preceeding
section. Guild Trade. Here, a system is
outlined that can be used if player characters want to engage in cargo trade for
themselves.
Adventurers need not personally travel
on a ship in order to run trading ventures.
They might choose to buy a vessel and
hire a crew, then take their traditional 50
percent share of the profits and all of
the losses-as owners. (Guidelines for
ship and crew costs are included below.)
It is also possible to simply buy a cargo
and hite a Minrothad or othet merchant
ship to carry it to another place for sale.
Alternatively, characters who want oceangoing adventures might find this the perfect opportunity to buy their own ship
and experience the thrills of adventure on
the high seas.

AcQuiniNQ Sl7ip aNO Cnew A ship can be hired by PCs, but they
will pay all of its expenses (wages, food
supplies, etc) and, if necessary, enough to
recompense the captain for sailing with
an empty cargo hold. If a ship is hired to
carry cargo bought by the PCs, it is possible to work a consignment deal where the
vessel receives a percentage of the cargo
sale (see Guild Trade) and thus save on
shipping charges. But if PCs plan on
moving cargo with any frequency, the
most cost-effective method in the long
run is for them to purchase their own
ship.
Costs and ship statistics ate given in the
preceeding section for Minrothad Guilds
merchant ships. PCs can buy similar vessels on the continent for three-quarters of
the cost, with sailing statistics as given m
the Expert Rules, page 43. Used vessels
are available for 20 to 70 percent of the
cost of a new one ((Id6 x 10 percent) +
10 percent), but PCs will also have to pay
another 20 to 70 percent of a new ship's
price to have the used one refitted and
made seaworthy.
Even if nonguild crewmen are signed
on, it is worthwhile for the DM to determine their level of abilities according to
the Rank and Level table under

Privateers. That enables the DM to determine fighting abilities and pay scale,
based on 1 gp per month pet guild skill
level (or equivalent). Officers and crew
receive the bulk of their pay in shares of
the ship's profit and expect the standard
scale of shares to be observed.
Traditionally, sailors receive a half-day
off for personal time once a week. The
ship continues sailing manned by one
watch, but the off-shift ctew are not
required to be about othei duties. When
watches change, the working watch then
takes their half-day of free time. Sailors
use this time to mend clothes, do laundry, write letters, and occupy themselves
in similar ways. Since crewmen are otherwise on call for work in all weather and at
any hour, they value this free time highly.
A crew which does not receive their halfday, weather and other conditions allowing, soon develops a morale problem.
In port, after cargo has been unloaded,
crewmen are generally given one or more
days of liberty. Crews which do not have
at least three days of liberty a month
become tired, argumentative, and lose
morale. The DM may exploit potential
morale ptoblems as he deems appropriate.

ExpeNses
Regular upkeep on a ship costs 1 gp per
1,000 miles traveled per hull point. A
vessel loses 10 percent of its speed for each
1,000 miles sailed without the tequisite
maintenance. This sort of maintenance is
often done at sea, but the expenses are
paid in port whete tackle, planks, and
other repair material are purchased.
After 10,000 miles of navigation or one
year at sea, whichever comes first, major
maintenance and overhaul must be done
on the ship. This includes scraping the
hull clean of barnacles, replacing damaged or worm-eaten planks, replacing the
rudder or restepping masts, and so on.
The wotk is done in port where drydocks
can be used during major repairs on the
hull. Drydocks are also used when possible for careening the hull; this reduces
the time required by 20 to 80 percent.
28

Maintenance work takes one day for every

100 gp of expenses paid. See the Service
Fee table for drydock costs.

FooO
Food is anothei unavoidable expense
for an ocean-going vessel.
Standard rations, which are perishable
and unedible after one week, cost 1 gp
per crew member per week. Iron rations,
such as hardtack and salt or pickled meat,
last for months. This sort of food is cheap;
it costs 1 sp per crewman per day. Water is
stocked in the amount of one barrel of
water per week for every five crewmen.
The space taken up by crew food supplies
does not count as part of the cargo space
of the vessel.
The amount of food stores a ship can
carry is deteimined by the ship's design.
Storage capacity is given below. Vessels
which make frequent landfall do not
always bother to stock up completely on
supplies, and so take on food and water
far more often than indicated.
Ship

Food Storage

Galley, large
Galley, small
Galley, war
Longship
Sailing ship, small
Sailing ship, large

10-20 days
10 days
2 weeks
10 days
1 month
2-3 months

Scunvy
A crew living on a diet of iron rations
for more than a month becomes susceptible to scurvy or other diseases of vitamin
deficiency. Clever captains buy stocks of
onions and potatoes to supplement iron
rations, since these perishables last for a
month or two and provide needed vitamins.
If scurvy strikes the crew, 10 percent of
them are affected for each week the crew
goes without fresh food. For each week a
sailor suffers from this disease, his
Strength and Constitution drop by one
point each. When either one reaches
zero, the crewman dies of the disease. A
scurvy-stricken crewman regains three
points of Strength and Constitution each
week he consumes fresh food.

Speculative
Edible cargo can be consumed if a ship
is faced with scurvy or starvation. Doing
so reduces the cargo value by 10 percent
per week (or fraction thereof) that the cargo is eaten.

Livestock
Horses, cattle, monsters, or other creatures carried on shipboard must also be
fed. A horse or cow consumes fodder
weighing 200 ens per day, and this feed
takes up cargo space. If supplies for the
livestock are exhausted during a voyage,
fodder can usually be bought from
coastal villages if no port is found
enroute. Otherwise panics can scavenge
fodder wherever landfall is made.

Pont Classif ications Merchant trading begins and usually

ends in a seaport. Port size and location
influences the availability of cargo, the
prices fetched when one is sold, the types
of services in port, and the sort of vessels
accomodated in the harbor. Ports in the
Known World are classified as follows.
Class

Port Capacity
in Hull Pts.

Dock
Size*

A: Trade Power 10,000 ( + ) 180 HP +

B: Major Port 5,000-9,999 180 HP
C: Large Port 2,000-4,999 160 HP
1,000- 1,999 140 HP
D: Port
E: Minor Port
500 - 999
120 HP
F: Anchorage
499 (-)
80 HP
* Unless port description states otherwise.

Moouaqe
It is possible to find a berth 80 percent
of the time. DMs can adjust this figure as
needed to reflect circumstances that are
out of the ordinary. Ships that cannot
find a berth may moor in the harbor at a
distance from the docks and quays.
If the port cannot accomodate a large
vessel, it is forced to moor in the harbor
and use boats for cargo transportation.
These and other ships are not required to
use dock facilities for cargo handling, but
loading and unloading takes longer if the

crew is forced to ferry cargo back and

forth in boats. Too, some cargo, such as
livestock, is practically impossible to
transport by boat either ro or from a ship.
These difficulties should be considered
before cargo is delivered to a port.
Smuggling vessels and ships calling in
our-of-the-way places often simply moor
off-shore and get to the beach through
the surf in the ship's rowboats. There are
no fees for this type of moorage, but the
captain must keep a cautious eye out for
winds and tides that might run the ship
aground. Moving cargo in boats through
surf further increases loading or unloading rime. See Cargo Handling, below.
CUStOMS

Most countries impose a tax on foreignmade goods which are brought into harbor and sold. Customs inspectors board
ships within Id6 hours of the time the
vessel moors or docks in port. In busy harbors or places with lazy customs officials,
this may take Id20 hours instead. Ships
that make port in the middle of the night
are normally boarded in the morning.
A cargo cannot be unloaded until
inspected and passed by customs. Only
goods manufactured locally and foreign
goods bearing a tax stamp can be unloaded and sold or traded legally in a port.
Customs officials generally have Appraisal skills of 10 + Id8; after evaluating a cargo, they assess a tax which can range from
1 percent to 100 percent or more of the
goods' value. An average customs fee is
2dlO percent, but the DM may adjust
amounts as needed to reflect the local
political or economic climate.

HaubOR Masten
Representatives of the harbor master
also visit newly-arrived vessels. They levy
docking and other service fees, can provide pilots to navigate a ship into and out
of difficult harbors, and have the authority to quarantine or turn away undesirable ships. Average fees charged by these
port authorities can be found on the Service Fee table.
Drydocks are used to effect large-scale

ship repairs and are sometimes part of the

port facilities overseen by the harbor master. Drydocks in private shipyards do not
fall under his jurisdiction. Towage is a
service used by ships which have run
aground, have lost steerage, or are otherwise disabled and need help moving into
or out of port. Towage is also used in class
A and B ports to lead ships of 160 HP and
greater through congested harbors to and
from docking berths.

Most ships rely on their crews to supply

the manpower for loading and offloading
cargo. Dock workers are available in the
larger and busier ports to supplement or
speed the cargo-handling done by a
ship's crew. Unless a ship is using a private dock with its own dock workers, as is
the case with some Minrothad vessels,
payment for these cargo services is made
to the harbor master.
When loading or unloading cargo at a
dock, one man can handle 2,000 ens of
merchandise in one hour. Although
boxed goods and sacks can be moved
more quickly than that, bulky goods such
as barrels and crates require special handling. A crew of 10 can unload the cargo
of a small sailing ship in five hours of
steady work, providing the cargo is not
exceptionally awkward to handle. Loading a vessel takes 50 percent longer than
unloading it because goods must be carefully stowed and secured for the voyage.
Cargo handling can be sped along by hiring one or many additional dock workers.
This work is normally done during daylight hours in reasonable weather conditions. If conducted under other
conditions, the length of time needed
can be doubled or tripled.
If a cargo is moved from a port anchorage rather than at dockside, rowboats are
required. One boat with a four-man crew
can transport 5,000 ens in one hour. If
moving cargo to or from an offshore
anchorage where boats must be unloaded
on the beach, a rowboat with four-man
crew transports 5,000 ens in two hours.

Speculative "Cuabe
Service Fee Modifiers by Port Class:
Port
A

B-C
D-E
F

Moorage

Dry Docks

Pilot

Towage

Longshoremen

+ 50% /day

+ 50% /week

-30% /week
none

+ 30%

-10%
-20%

+ 30% /tow

-10% /tow
-20% /tow

+ 50% /ship

-20% /ship
none

-30% /day
-60% /day

Service Fees, Base Prices:

Port Entrance: 10-20 gp; one-time fee.
Moorage: 1 gp per day per 10 hull points
for dock space; 5 gp per day flat rate to
anchor in harbor.
Dry Docks: 10-15 gp per day per 10.
Pilot: 10-60 gp flat fee, depending on
difficulty of route and time involved.
Towage: 1 gp per 10 hull points for
berthing; 10 gp per 10 hull points for
emergency tow.
Dock Workers: 10 cp each per hour; one
man moves 2,000 ens per hour.
In addition to these fees, there is a special toll for ships passing through the
Thyatis Strait. Ships 60 HP or larger are
charged 10 gp per vessel for passage.

Skills
Once a ship is secured, a cargo must be
procured to fill it. A combination of skills
are required for successful buying and
selling of cargos, whether conducted by
NPCs or PCs. Broker points, a new aid to
trading, are explained below. Appraisal
and Bargaining skills are described in the
Adventurer's Guidebook.
Appraisal: NPCs who engage in trade
as their primary business can be assigned
an Appraisal skill of 12 + Id6. Minrothad
Guild agents in foreign ports have skills
of 14 + Id4, while merchant-princes have
scores of 15+ Id4.
When a character wants to evaluate the
worth of a cargo, the DM secretly rolls
Id20 against that petson's Appraisal skill.
If the result is equal to or less than the
character's score, he has made an accurate
value estimation. If the roll is greater
than the score needed, he fails.
If the failure is an odd number, the
character's evaluation of worth is low. If
an even number, it is high. The character
is off by 5 % times the difference between
the roll needed and the roll made. For

example, Cosger has an Appraisal skill of

12. When evaluating a cargo, his roll is
16. Cosger's estimate is low by 20% (1612=4, x5%).
An NPC merchant who sells goods
usually sets his price 10 to 40 percent (roll
Id4) above the appraised value of the
merchandise. An NPC buyer makes an
offer 10 to 40 percent below what he
appraised goods at. An NPC rarely sells
for less than half his perceived profit margin , nor pays more than his estimate of an
item's worth.
Bargaining: The Bargaining skill as
explained in the Adventurers' Guide is
intended for quick NPC encounters.
More important negotiations, like those
affecting the price of a cargo, should be
role played. However, the DM can use a
PC's Bargaining skill to modify price
negotiations at any time in the following
manner. This method is especially useful
for summing up the bargaining effect
when many loads are haggled over.
Step 1. Determine the difference in
Bargaining skill between NPC and PC. If
one character has no Bargaining skill,
treat it as a skill level of 0.
Step 2. Multiply that difference by 5
percent. The result is the Price Adjustment.
Step 3. If both characters have
Appraisal skill, use the evaluation of the
superior bargainer to determine the price
which is adjusted. If only one character
has Appraisal, use that price. If neither
party has that skill, the DM should arbitrarily set a "fair market value" and use
that as the base price to be adjusted.
Step 4. The superior bargainer
improves the price or decreases the cost
over a cargo's perceived value by the indicated Price Adjustment. That is, if he is
buying goods, the price is lowered by the
amount of the Price Adjustment; if he is
selling goods, his agteed-on selling price
is increased by that amount.

30
rij-iHHHfrfl-g-tHHKHMHHHHHHHHKHK^^

Step 5. When used for the price of

multiple items, total the value of the
goods (as perceived by the superior bargainer) and add or subtract the percentage as determined above.
For example, Captain Saroso Elsan bargains for a load of wine with the Thyatian
merchant Alekos. Elsan has appraised the
wine at 1,000 gp, but Alekos has no
Appraisal skill; Elsan's estimate is used
for the basis of calculations.
Both characters have Bargaining skill,
but Elsan's 18 is better than Alekos' 13The difference between the two scotes is
5, which equals a 25 percent adjustment
in final price. Captain Elsan buys the cargo load of wine for 25 percent less than its
value, or 750 gp. If he were selling it to
Alekos instead, he would receive 1,250
gp for it (1,000 +25 percent).
If the price indicated by Bargaining
skill exceeds what an item is worth
according to an earlier Appraisal roll, the
character with the inferior Bargaining
skill makes a Wisdom check. If the roll
fails, he is carried away by a good sales
pitch and agrees to the exorbitant price
(or deep discount). If the roll is a success,
the Appraised value is adhered to regardless of the inspired bargaining.

Rnoken Points
Broker points are unlike other skills
acquired by characters. A broker point is
a dice roll modifier used in the speculative trade system described in the following pages. It is used to reflect the
difference that experience makes in the
success of merchant trading ventures.
Broker points are awarded by the DM
to characters and NPCs according to the
following criteria. Once received, points
ate never used up; they can be applied
any time a modifier is needed. Each point
counts as a + 1 modifier to a speculative
trade dice roll.
No character can ever have more than
five broker points, which are normally
gained only after years of game time and
much trading experience. PCs may also
receive them as rewards for good roleplaying or spectacular trading coups. Broker points awarded are cumulative.

Speculative
Points are based on the following:
Merchant-prince
Master (in any guild)
Character Level 10-20
Character Level 21+
Minrothad Guild Agent
5-15 years of trading experience
16 + years of trading experience
Character has both Bargaining
and Appraisal skills and has raised
each at least 1 point

+1
+1
+1
+1
+2
+1
+1

+1

Pont AqeNts
Port agents, also called factors or brokers, can be used as middlemen in the
buying or selling of cargos. If an agent is
used, PCs are not personally involved in
cargo negotiations and pay the factor a
percentage fee for his services.
The advantage to this is that agents
usually have better Broker, Bargaining
and Appraisal skills than do characters.
Adventurers are likely to receive a better
price for their goods or get a cargo more
cheaply than if they made the arrangements themselves. On the negative side,
PCs can never be certain if an agent got
them the best deal and the fees that are
charged are sometimes substantial,
NPC port agents (except those of the
Minrothad Guilds) have Bargaining and
Appraisal skills of 10 + ld8 each, and
Id6-l broker points. If an agent sells a
cargo for PCs, he takes 2dlO + 5 percent
of the profits and passes the remainder on
to the characters. If he buys a cargo on
their behalf, he pockets 2dlO + 5 percent
of the money paid by PCs for that cargo.

BuyiNQ aNfc SeliiNq Canqo The following procedure is used to buy

or sell cargos.
Step 1. Determine pott's classification.
Major trading ports are listed on the
Sale and Purchase Table. Ports not on the
table should be assigned a classification
by the DM.
Step 2. Find the number of merchants
and cargo loads available.
Use the table below to find the number
of merchants and cargo loads in port.

Broker points can be applied to rolls on

this table, but the results should be kept
secret by the DM.
The number of merchants does not
show the total that are in a port, but rather how many are interested in doing business with the PCs. "Cargo loads" is a
convenient measure for quantities of
goods, and are further defined in the
Trade Goods Table. If PCs are buying, the
number of loads shows how much cargo
they can purchase. If they are selling, the
number of loads shows how much of their
cargo a merchant is interested in buying.
Port Class

Merchants

A, B
C, D
E
F

Id6 +2
Id6 +1
Id6
Id6 -1

Size of
Transaction
3d8 loads
2d8 loads
2d6 loads
2d4 loads

The DM is free to modify results that

conflict with what he knows about a port.
If, for instance, the addition of broker
points results in 10 merchants in a class F
port and the DM feels that is too many
merchants for that type of port, he can
reduce the result to a reasonable number.
One half of the merchants appear the
first week a ship is in port (round fractions
up). One quarter of them appear during
the second week. The remainder trickle
in at the rate of one a week for each additional week the ship spends in port. Sixty
percent of these merchants deal in only
one type of cargo.
For example, if there are eight merchants who will do business with the PCs
in a particular port, four appear the first
week, two the next, and one each subsequent week. If the PCs hope to deal with
all possible merchants, they end up
spending four weeks in port. Additional
efforts to locate more merchants or cargo
may be made at the end of this rime, but
the dice roll takes a modifier of 2 for
each week a vessel has been in port.
Step 3. Determine types of cargo.
The Trade Goods Table lists specific
types of goods that can be purchased or
sold in a port. DMs are welcome to
change items if they wish. Fot instance, a
result of "smoked fish" might become

"smoked ham" in one port, or "pickled

hogsfeet" in another.
The DM can select cargo from this list
or settle on goods with a random die roll.
If a random result is desired, broker
points can be applied to the roll.
If player characters are in search of a specific type of cargo, there is a base 20 percent
chance that it will be available in a particular port. This percentage is increased by 5
percent for each broker point applied to the
roll. Chances can also be increased or
decreased by the DM to reflect how rare or
common a type of merchandise might be in
that port. If the DM decides that a certain
cargo is not available at all, not even broker
points can help locate the goods.
Step 4. Find the adjusted price of cargo.
Once the nature of a cargo load has
been determined, use its base price to
derive its adjusted price. The base price is
an arbitrary, relative value placed on an
item before its value is adjusted for supply, demand, and random economic and
political factors. These factors are modeled with a simple system of die rolls and
situational modifiers that lead to the
adjusted pricethe "real" value of the
goods at a specific place and time. The
adjusted price must be determined
before cargo negotiations can begin.
Find the cargo's base price on the Trade
Goods Table (or the Precious Merchandise Table, if appropriate).
Consult the Supply and Demand Table
to find out whether there is unusually
high or low demand for this commodity at the port in question. This is indicated by a dice roll modifier.
If the port is class A or B, there is an
+1 modifier. If the port is class E or F,
there is an automatic -1 modifier.
Roll 3d6, adding or subtracting modifiers for supply and demand and port
class, and consult the Base Price Adjustment Table. Players can also modify the
roll with broker points (if characters are
selling, adding broker points results in a
higher sale price; subtracting results in a
lower purchase price).
Multiply the cargo's base price by the
adjustment percentage to arrive at the
adjusted price.

Speculative
Trade Goods Table

Encumbrance
per Load (ens)

Roll

Merchandise

lload

01-04
05-08
09-12
13-16
17-20
21-26
27-30
31-35
36-39
40-43

Wood, common
Oil
Textiles (2)
Salt
Beer, ale
Grain & vegetables
Fish, preserved
Hides, furs
Tea or coffee
Animals

44-47
48-51
52-54
55-60
61-63
64-68
69-73
74-75
76-80
81-85
86-00

Pottery
Wine, spirits
Meat, preserved
Metals, common
Dye & pigments
Cloth
Weapons, tools
Monsters
Glassware
Semiprecious stones(6)
Roll on Precious Merchandise table.

1 cord(l)
8,000
5 jars
3,000
4 bags
2,000
150 bricks
7,500
1 barrel
800
20 bags
8,000
10 barrels
8,000
10 bundles
4,000
2 bags
1,000
roll on Animals Table,
page 34
2 crates (3)
1,000
1 barrel
800
10 barrels
8,000
200 ingots
10,000
5 jars
2,500
8,000
20 rolls
1 crate (3)
1,000
1 monster
varies (5)
2 crates (3)
1,000
1 box
100

Base
Price

50 gp
100 gp
100 gp
100 gp
100 gp
150 gp
150 gp
150 gp
150 gp
200 gp
200 gp
200 gp
200 gp
250 gp
200 gp
varies (4)
varies (5)
400 gp
200 gp

Merchandise

01-10

Mounts (7)

11-21
22-33
33-41
38-53

Wood, precious
Porcelain, fine
Books, rare
Armor (3)
Ivory
Spices
Silk
Furs, rare
Metals, precious
Gems

54-61
62-67
68-75
76-85
86-94
95-00

(2) Textiles include rope, sacking, and

any woven goods other than cloth.
(3) The encumbrance of a crate is 200 ens.
To find the quantity of goods contained
within it, divide the remaining encumbrance (800 ens) by the weapon or armor
weight given in the rules. Round the
number down; any remaining fraction is
part of the crate and packing weight.
(4) Use prices given in the rules multiplied by the quantity in the crate. Quantity is calculated as explained in (3).
(5) Monster encumbrance is set by the
DM. The suggested value for a monster is
100 gp per HD, times 10 for each asterisk.
A 2HD** monster would be worth (100
X 2) x 20 = 4,000 gp. Monsters worth
1,000 gp or more are considered precious
merchandise. Fodder must also be carried
to feed live monsters.
(6) Semiprecious stones include amber,
turquoise, alabaster, agate, geodes, etc.

Precious Merchandise Table

Roll

(1) A cord contains either: 15 12-footdiameter, 10-foot-long logs, or; 400

board-feet of 2-inch by 6-inch planks.

1 Load

Encumbrance
per Load

see Animals Table,

Pg34
1 cord;
8,000
2 crates
1,000
1 box
300
1 crate
1,000
1 tusk
1,000
1 jar
600
5 rolls
2,000
1 bundle
500
2 ingots
400
1 box
50

Base
Price

500 gp
l.OOOgp
l.OOOgp
varies (4)
800 gp
800 gp
1 ,000 gp
500 gp
600 gp
3,000 gp

(7) The mounts are either warhorses (80

percent) or elephants (20 percent). The
DM can substitute other beasts as appropriate.

Speculative
Supply and Demand Table
Port

Class

Aasla
Alpha
Athenos

C
D

Cubia

Dunadale

Fabia
Filtot
Freiburg
Helskir
lerendi
Jaboor
Kerendas

F
E
D
D
C
E
D

Kobos
Landfall
Newkirk
Norrvik
Oceansend
Shireton

E
E
B
C
D
D

Soderfjord
Specularum

C
C

Surra-Man-Raa

Tameronikas

Tel Akbir
Thyatis

Zeaburg

Modifiers to Percentile Roll

Gems ~5, Spices 5, Glassware ~2, Ivory -2, Common metals ~3,
Fish +4, Monsters +5, Books +5, Precious Metals +6, Silk +5
Grain/Vegetables -3, Meat -3, Ivory +6, Coffee +5, Wine +5
Meat -2, Gems -2, Spices -3, Ivory -3, Glassware ~3,
Monsters + 2, Animals +1, Porcelain +3, Precious wood +2
Pottery 3, Dye/Pigments -4, War Horses 3,
Grain/Vegetables +3, Meat +3, Hides +3
Porcelain -3, Weapons -4, Monsters -4, Gems -2, Tea +5,
Ivory +5, Grain/Vegetables +5, Glassware +3
Dye/Pigment -2, Wine -2, Silk -3, Fish +2, Common Wood + 2
Oil ~3, Salt -2, Grain ~3, Books +4, Meat +2, Monsters +2
Animals -3, Porcelain -2, Weapons +2, Armor +2, Oil +3
Dye -3, Salt -2, Fish +3, Hides +2, Coffee +4, Pottery +1
Fish -2, Precious Metals -2, Dye +2, Cloth +2, Animals +3
Coffee -3, OU ~3, Glassware -3, Meat +3, Spices +4, Wine +2
Meat -2, Wine -2, Beer -2, Common metals 3, Dye +2,
Common wood +3, Oil +2, Grain/Vegetables +3
Hides -2, Monsters -2, War Horses -1, Ivory +3, Silk +3
Hides ~3, Monsters *~3, Grain/Vegetables +4, Tea +4, Dye +3
Dye -4, Armor ~3, Coffee +3, Gems +4, Porcelain +3
Silk -3, Salt -3, Weapons -2, Ivory +3, Pottery +3, Cloth +3
Books -2, Common wood -4, Dye +2, Salt +2, Silk +4
Grain/Vegetables -2, Wine -3, Beer -3, Fish +3, Coffee +2,
Tea +2
Common wood -4, Grain /Vegetables -2, Wine +3, Armor +3
Common wood ~3, Animals -2, Hides -3, Common metals 2, Fur +3, Weapons +2, Armor +2, War Horses +3
Precious metals ~3, Pottery -2, Books ~3, Monsters -4,
Weapons +3, Cloth +2
Tea -3, Cloth -2, Animals ~3, Glassware +1, Porcelain +2,
Salt +2
Coffee -2, Oil -2, Beer -2, Hides +2, Cloth +2, Dye +2
Silk -2, Weapons -3, Armor -3, War Horses -2, Fur +3,
Gems +3, Precious Metals +3, Spices +3, Oil +2
Fish 3, Cloth ~3, Textiles -1, Common wood +2, Meat +4

Minrothzd Ports
Minrothad

Harbortown
Malfton

Stronghold
Seahome
Verdun

E
D
D

Cove Harbor
Gapton

E
F

Coffee -2, Tea -2, Beer -2, Fish -3, Dye -2, Pottery +3,
Cloth +2, Precious Metals +2, Gems +2, Common wood +2
Fish -2, Dye -2, Animals -3, Spices +2, Meat +2, Wine +2
Spices -2, Oil -1, Pottery -1, Grain/Vegetables -2,
Common wood +2, Meat +2, Beer +3, Cloth +2
Weapons/tools 3, Grain/Vegetables +1, Common Metals +2
Common/Precious Woods -2, Silk +3, Dye +4, Hides/Furs +2
Common/Precious Woods -2, Cloth -2, Books -2, Fur +3,
Dye +4, Silk +3, Salt +2
Wine -2, Cloth -2, Common Metal +2, Common Wood +2
Textiles -1, Tea -1, Rare Books +2, Spices +1, Pottery +3

33

The adjusted price represents the true

value of the goods in that particular marketplace. When broker points are applied
to the roll, the result also reflects the benefits of canny business dealings. Customs
taxes are based upon this figure, which is
also the basis for Bargaining and Appraisal rolls and price negotiations.
The adjusted price is calculated when a
cargo load is bought and again when it is
sold in a different port. If several merchants buy or sell the same type of goods
in the same place, the adjusted price need
only be calculated one time.
Base Price Adjustment Table

3d6
Roll

Percentage

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

30 percent
40 percent
50 percent
60 percent
70 percent
80 percent
90 percent
100 percent (no change)
110 percent
120 percent
130 percent
140 percent
150 percent
160 percent
180 percent
200 percent
300 percent
400 percent

Step 5. Determine the final price.

Characters next conduct any Appraisal
or Bargaining that they are entitled to do,
as explained under Trade Skills. The final
price is the sale or purchase price agreed
on after these skills have been used. If
characters do not have Bargaining skill,
the final cost remains the same as the
adjusted price. If Bargaining skill results
in a price change, the adjusted price is
altered by that amount, yielding the final
price for the goods. Any fee due a port
agent for his services is deducted from the
final price of a cargo.

Speculative
Step 6. Exchange goods.
Goods exchange hands after the final
price is agreed upon and paid. Loading or
unloading times and expenses should be
calculated according to the guidelines
under Cargo Handling. Unless other
agreements are made, a seller pays
unloading expenses if the goods must be
taken out of a ship and the buyer pays
loading costs.

When a harbor master inspects an

arriving vessel, he asks its port of origin
and next destination. This information is
posted at the port authority offices and
sometimes at the docks as well. Once a
ship has made port and its next destination becomes known, passengers might
attempt to book passage to that place.
Use the Passenger Table to determine
how many passengers present themselves.
Adjust the dice roll according to port classification. Results lower than 0 are treated
as 0. If a ship is soliciting paying passengers, broker points can be applied to the
Passenger Table dice rolls. Each broker
point increases the dice roll by 1.
For example, in Minrothad, a class B
port, 2d6 minus Id4 passengers apply for
passage aboard the Egret. Captain Elsan
is not searching for passengers, and so
does not add his broker points to the dice
roll. His destination is Fabia, a class F
port, so the number of passengers is
reduced by two. He is approached by (82)-2 passengers, or a total of four people
seeking passage to Fabia.
There is a 5 percent chance per port visited that one or more passengers traveling
together want to hire the ship to go to a
destination of their choice. If this occurs,
they wish to sail to the most remote port
within 2d20 x 100 miles (consult the
map of the Known World). Standard
charges for hiring ships are given under
Travel Fees.
The Players and the DM together
should determine how many passengers
can be accomodated on a PC-owned ship.
Space limitations might force a voyager to
sleep in a hammock in the cargo hold,

but he will want to pay considerably less

for his passage than a traveler who is
lodged in an officer's cabin. A general
rule of thumb is that a vessel can accomodate 20 percent more people (round
fractions down) than the normal crew
complement (including marines if the
vessel carries any). That is, a ship with a
crew of 10 has room for two passengers,
while a vessel with a crew of 20 and 50
marines (70 total) has room for 14 passengers.
Animal Table
This table gives information on common animals that might be shipped as
cargo. The feed they require is an additional expense paid in advance of the voyage. Fodder is not edible by humans nor
is it included in the basic load. The
encumbrance of any load of fodder is
1,000 en.

Roll Animal

1
2

3
4
5-6
7
8

Encumbrance
per
Animal

Animals Fodder
per
cost
load per load

Rabbit,
hen
50 en
100 20 gp/wk
Goat,
hound 500 en
20 20 gp/wk
10 20 gp/wk
P'g, large 1,000 en
Cow
10,000 en
5 20 gp/wfc
Horse, bull 15, 000 en
2 20 gp/wk
Warhorse 20,000 en
2 30 gp/wk
Elephant 100,000 en 1 20 gp/wk

Base
Price

25 gp
100 gp
100 gp
125 gp
200 gp
l.OOOgp
l,500gp

Passenger Table
Class of
Port

Port of
Origin

2d6

B
C
D
E
F

2d6-ld4
2d4-ld4
2d4-ld6

Id6-ld4
Id6-ld6

Destination

+2
+1
0
0
-1
-2

TRavel Fees
Travelers are usually charged 20 gp per
500 miles traveled. Passengers do not
count against a ship's cargo space, but
extra food stores must be bought for
them. The cost of the food is added to the
price of their passage.
If passengers hire the ship to go to a
destination of their choice, they pay as if

they shipped enough to fill the cargo

hold. This fee is a common transport-forhire charge of 1 gp per 500 en of cargo
space per 500 miles of distance. Fractions
are rounded up. The minimum fee is 100
gPFor example, a small cargo ship with
100,000 ens of cargo space would charge
200 gp for a 500-mile voyage (100,000
en/500 en = 200 gp per 500 miles). This
cost is usually shared by the party of passengers. A round-trip fee can be charged
if the captain believes he won't find
much cargo to ship back from that destination.
SI71PP1NQ CONtRaCtS

There is a 5 percent chance per port visited that one NPC offers to hire a vessel to
transport Idl2 cargo loads of goods to
another destination. If PCs state that they
are actively soliciting such work, they
increase their chances of being hired to 25
percent, plus 5 percent per broker point
applied to the effort. The number of
NPC shippers and their cargo loads are
found by rolling on the Merchant and
Cargo Load table.
A shipper is charged the same
transport-for-hire fee explained above: 1
gp per 500 en of cargo space per 500 miles
of distance, with a minimum charge of
100 gp. Normally, half the payment is
made in advance and the remainder is
paid by the shipper's agent when the destination is reached. Bonuses for early
delivery and hazardous travel conditions
are negotiable.
Space allowing, it is customary to provide free transportation for a merchant
representative who takes care of the goods
and tax payments. Merchants do not
always disclose the nature of the cargo
being shipped, for security reasons. Many
captains go along with this and ask no
questions.
Once a PC accepts a shipping contract,
it is not possible to charge the shipper for
unfilled hold space aboard the vessel.
Therefore, characters often buy theit own
merchandise to fill out cargo space and
make the voyage more profitable.

SailiNQ
Voyaging from one port to another
requires expertise and knowledge of the
sea. Galleys are sometimes encountered
in ocean trade, but they are traditionally
used for coastal transportation and military purposes. Sailing ships are most
often employed to carry large quantities
of cargo great distances across the ocean.
The following rules assume that the characters use a sail-powered cargo vessel and
that one or more persons with Ship Sailing skill are directing the operations of
the vessel. A character without this skill
has no chance of sailing the ship; a character with only Boat Sailing skill succeeds
in Ship Sailing only on a roll of 3 or less
on Id20 (15 percent).
Voyages can certainly be glossed over if
the DM wishes travel time to pass quickly.
However, seafaring offers plenty of
opportunity for danger and adventure.
Those who want to play the voyage out in
gteater detail can use these procedures,
along with the Map of the Known World
on the back of the Minrothad Guilds
map. For tracking weekly ship movement
on the map, distances can be rounded off
to the nearest 50-mile increment. The
DM or players may also want to figure
actual distance more precisely in order to
keep track of how long food supplies will
last.

PuepauatioNs f OR tl7e
Voyage
Distance: Before embarking for a distant port, the captain determines the distance his vessel will travel along his
planned route of travel. This should
account for any intermediate stops that
will be made in the total distance for the
voyage. Keep accurate track of this figure, since it is refered to many times to
resolve the progress of the voyage.
Time: The total distance of a voyage is
divided by the ship's movement rate to
give the expected travel time. This is an
average figure under fair weather conditions. Captains usually add at least 20
percent to the estimated travel time to
allow for contrary winds, stormy weather,
and other delays. This revised estimate is
the basis for decisions about how much

i^-tJ^M^-a-B-frfl-BrM-Bflfl-o-y^HJ-a-o-y-c-u-ra^

food to buy for the journey and how often

the ship will have to be resupplied. However, optimistic captains and those making a sales pitch about speedy cargo
delivery may estimate a faster travel time
because they expect, or hope, that they
will have favorable winds and currents for
the voyage.
Some spells and magical items, such as
a. pouch of winds (see Merchant- Princes),
can directly affect travel time. Such magic
usually improves or hinders a ship's
movement rate by 10 to 60 percent.
Although the effects of most spells last
only a brief period, an item like the
pouch of winds affects a vessel for the
duiation of its voyage and the ship's estimated travel time should be revised
accordingly.
Navigation Charts: Charts are usually
available in a seaport for destinations and
waterways along established sea lanes and
coastal areas. When a vessel uses charts as
a navigation aid, it is less likely to become
lost on the ocean. Ships which do not carry the appropriate charts are at risk when
they navigate, especially if the vessel travels out of sight of land for any distance
and must calculate its position without
visible landmarks. This is explained further under-Navigation. Of course, charts
may not exist or may not be of much help
if the PCs voyage into distant and unexplored waters.
Chart Availability Table
Port
Class

Chance to Locate Cost of

Proper Chart(s) * Chart* *

A
B
C
D
E
F

98 percent
90 percent
75 percent
60 percent
45 percent
30 petcent

2d20 gp
3d 10 gp
2dl2 gp
2dlO gp
3d6 gp
2d8 gp

* These chances of finding a chart are

reduced by 10 percent for every 500
miles of distance between the port of
purchase and the area depicted on the
chart. For example, charts for a sea
route to a destination 2,000 miles
away are 40 percent less likely to be

available. A Class A port has a 58 petcent chance of carrying one, but a

Class F port won't have any at all.
Howevei, a natural roll of 01-02 always
locates the needed chart, regardless of
other modifiers.
** The base price of a chart is increased
by 5 percent for every 500 miles of distance between the port of purchase
and the atea the chart depicts.
There may already be a library of charts
and maps on board the characters' ship,
especially if they bought a used vessel
already equipped for sailing. The DM
should determine if these are adequate
for the forthcoming voyage. Otherwise,
appropriate charts should be bought
before embarking on the journey. Use the
Chart Availability Table to locate and buy
navigation charts and maps.
The DM should decide how many
charts are needed for safe navigation; a
captain buying fewer than that number
suffers penalties to navigation rolls for
the ship. A recommended minimum
number of charts is one for every 1,000
miles of distance to be traveled, minus
whatever adequate charts are already
aboard the vessel.
Cash for Expenses: Even if nothing
goes wrong on a voyage and unexpected
repairs and related expenses do not
become neccessary, a ship's cargo will
almost cenainly be taxed by customs
before it can be sold at its destination. For
this and other contingencies, a captain
normally puts aside one or several strongboxes with enough cash to cover foreseeable expenses. Although it is tempting to
spend the last bit of ready cash to procure
a cargo, experienced traders always leave
themselves a reserve of ready money.
Cashboxes are often stowed in the captain's cabin and are likely to bear mundane or magical protections against theft.
Ship Maintenance and Repair: As
noted under Speculative Trade, a ship
must be periodically maintained or its
sailing efficiency suffers. The DM should
keep careful track of the state of the ship's
repair. If the vessel has not been kept up,

reduce its base movement rate as

explained on page 40 and alter the travel
time estimate as needed. Roll secretly
against Ship Sailing skill for the captain
(or other characters in charge of ship
repair or sailing) to notice in advance that
the ship will be traveling more slowly
than it ought to. If crew characters
become aware of this before the voyage,
they can allow for the longer travel time
by stocking extra provisions.
Similarly, if the characters fail to pay
regular maintenance costs in port, they
will be short on supplies needed for
repairs and maintenance at sea. If the
ship is damaged by weather or battle, the
Damage Table on page 40 is consulted
but the damage effects can only be
reduced by one-half while the ship is at
sea.
Provisions: A ship is normally completely stocked with food stores before a
voyage begins. As a cost- cutting measure, a captain sometimes buys less than a
full quota of food for the voyage. This is a
risky practice, especially on long voyages
where weather and other hazards might
delay a ship and cause food supplies to
run short.
The DM should carefully note the
quantity of food stores that are purchased
before a voyage and determine how many
weeks or days they will last. Depending
on the ship's expected travel time, the
vessel may have to put into port to resupply in the course of a voyage.
The quartermaster or cook keeps the
captain informed of the state of the ship's
food stores. It is not unheard of for a ship
to run out of food or water when delayed
too long at sea. A crew faced with thirst or
starvation speedily develops a critical
morale problem. A mutiny is likely to
take place, with the result that the voyage
is abandoned and the nearest landfall
and food suppliesare made for.
Provisions do not count against the
ship's cargo capacity as long as they don't
exceed the standard provision capacity
listed for the ship undet Ship Maintenance and Expenses.
As described on page 29, it is possible
to consume edible cargo to feed a hungry
crew. Crewmen can also try fishing while

at sea, but fish population diops off considerably the farther the vessel is from a
coastline. On the sealanes or high seas
there is only a 10 percent chance per week
of netting enough fish to feed the crew,
increasing to 50 percent within 100 miles
of a coast.

As each hex represents 50 miles, there

is plenty of room for maneuver in each
hex. A ship can leave a hex through any
face with no penalty, even reversing direction completely if desired. If the vessel
moves through a hex corner rather than a
hex face, decide which compass direction
best reflects its overall heading, and use
that as a reference for the following steps.

Weather affects a ship's movement

rate, and extremes of weather can endanger a vessel as destructively as pirates of
sea monsters. The following method is
used to keep track of weather effects during a voyage. Sea effects, including wind
and waves, are simplified in the following
tables. Weather and its effects are determined by the DM once each week (or
fraction of a week) during a voyage.

Step 2. Determine which direction the

wind is blowing from,

Weatt?R Effects on MoveiweNt

Weather effects on movement are
determined by following these steps:
Step 1, Determine which hex face the
vessel is sailing through.
Refer to the map of the Known World.
Minor variations in a ship's path of travel
are ignored; the ship is assumed to travel
in the same genetal direction throughout
a hex. Fot long voyages, simply find the
most direct route between two points and
see which hex face a ship must pass
through to head toward its destination.
This hex face corresponds with one of the
compass directions (according to the diagram).

Choose a prevailing wind direction or

roll Id8:
1
2
3
4

= North
= Northeast
= East
= Southeast

5
6
7
8

=
=
-

South
Southwest
West
Northwest

Step 3. Find which quarter of the ship

the wind strikes,
Depending on the ship's heading and
the wind direction, one of eight portions of
the ship are struck by the wind as it blows.
When the wind hits, it speeds the ship
along ot slows it as indicated in the table.
To find where the wind strikes a vessel,
compare the ship's heading to the compass direction (hex face) from which the
wind is blowing. For example, if a ship is
heading east, and the wind blows from
the north, the wind strikes the ship on the
port side.
No sailing ship unaided by magic can
move directly into the wind- Any result
which shows the wind dead ahead
assumes the vessel is tackingmoving at
angles to the windto make forward
progress.
The ship's movement rate is modified by
the peicentage shown on the table,
depending where the wind hits the vessel.
This movement modifier is combined with
any modifier that resulted from Step 4.
Wind from

Modify Speed

Bow
Port or Starboard
Bow
Port or Starboard
Port or Starboard
Stern
Stern

-25 percent
~10 percent
+ 20 percent
+ 10 percent
+/-0

Step 4. Find the current weather conditions and their effects.

Roll Id6 and refer to this table. Numbers 0, 7 and 8 are the result of modifiers
explained under Weather Changes.
D8 Movement Weather
Roll Rate
Description

Missile
Fire
Penalties

0
0 mvmt
1
-20%
2
-10%
3-4 +/ -0%

Becalmed; no wind
0
Calm wind, flat seas
0
Gentle wind, small waves
0
Moderate winds, medium
waves
-" 1
5
+ / ~ 1 0 % Brisk winds, choppy seas
~3
6 + / 2 0 % Strong winds, high waves
~5
7 + / -40% Squall, high waves
-7
8
+ / -60% Storm, heavy seas
no
missile fire

These results further modify a ship's

movement rate. A roll of 1 or 2 (calm or
gentle winds) slows a sailing ship down
regardless what quarter the wind strikes
because such light breezes do not provide
enough motive power for efficient sailing.
A roll of 5 or greater increases a ship's
speed if wind impacts on the starboard,
port, or rear quarters. If it blows from any
of the bow quarters, however, it produces
a lot of drag and slows the ship down by a
similar amount.
Missile fire penalties apply to archery
fire or ship's artillery. Results of 0, 7 and
8, (becalmed, squall, and storm), are
explained under Unusual Weather. Such
effects are not necessarily in force for the
entire week of travel time, but their
impact can be devasting nonetheless.
Step 5. Adjust ship's movement rate.
The results from Steps 3 and 4 are combined into one movement modifier and
the ship's base movement rate is
increased or decreased by that amount.
Unless the DM choses to alter these
results, they hold good for one week of
travel or each fraction thereof.

Weatljen
Weather conditions are determined at
the start of a voyage as explained above.
After each week of travel or fraction
thereof, the weather is likely to change.
These changes can be checked at more

frequent intervals if desired.

Changes in Wind Direction: To find
out if the wind direction shifts, roll Id6.
On a result of 5 or 6, the wind remains
the same. On a 1, 2, 3, or 4, the wind
shifts that many hex faces left or right. To
find out which direction, roll ld6 again.
On an even number, the wind moves to
the right; on odd, it moves to the left.
Refer to the compass diagram to see
where the wind blows from after it has
shifted.
Changes in Weather Condition: Roll
Id6 and refer to this table.
Roll

Change in
Weather Condition
-2
-1

1
2

0
0

4
5
6

+1
+2

The result of this dice roll can shift the

current weather up or down the scale. For
example, suppose the weather for the
first week of a voyage was found to be 5,
brisk wind. After a week of travel, the
DM rolls Id6 for a possible change and
gets a 2. The resulting change is a -1,
and the weather drops to condition 4,
moderate winds.
A ship can be becalmed or caught in a
squall or a storm by a weather change. For
example, in the above example, if a 6 had
appeared on Id6, it would have changed
the weather by two steps. The brisk winds
would have been storms instead.
Modifiers which result in a weather
condition higher than 7 or less than 0
mean the phenomenon continues for
twice its normal duration (as explained
under Unusual Weather). These and other results can be ignored or modified to
reflect local climatic conditions.

Unusual WeatfjeK
The weather conditions table can produce squalls, storms, and complete calm.
There is, however, a 10 percent chance
during each full week of voyaging that
those or other unusual weather phenom-

37
i<HHHHHHHraHHHMgfl*HHHHHHHfrre

ena are encountered. The DM should

check weekly for such occurrences. If one
takes place, roll on the following table to
discover its nature. These weather conditions are explained further below.
Roll
IdlOO

Unusual Weather

01-04
04-29
30-54
55-57
58-79
80-93
94-95
96-98
99-00

Becalmed
Clouds
Fog
Frozen Precipitation
Squall
Storm
Hurricane
Waterspout
Whirlpool

Becalmed: When the wind fails, a sailing ship is becalmed and its movement
rate reduced to zero. It cannot sail under
its own power, although it can be towed
by a galley or kedged. This result is
ignored if the current wind condition is
strong or greater or if a ship is traveling a
trade wind sea lane (marked on the Map
of the Known World).
A lack of wind is a temporary condition, but one that can last many days. In
most places, a vessel is becalmed for
IdlOO hours. In equatorial waters in summer this condition can last much longer.
In such waters, roll Idl2 to find the number of days a ship is becalmed. When the
wind finally returns, determine its new
direction and force as described under
Weather Conditions.
Clouds: If the sky is clear, it becomes
overcast and cloudy. If it is already cloudy,
the condition clears up.
If the sky becomes overcast it completely obscures stats used fot celestial
navigation and shortens the distance at
which objects can be sighted by 50 percent. (In clear weather a lookout on the
deck of a ship can see a distance of 10
miles; 30 miles if he is up a mast.) Thick
overcast (DM's discretion) can also
obscure the position of the sun during the
daytime, producing a diffuse, indefinite
light which gives no hint of the sun's location in the sky, also increasing the difficulty of navigation. This condition lasts
IdlO days unless cut short by another roll

on the Unusual Weather Table. It does

not affect travel time but penalizes navigation rolls by a modifier of -2, as
explained under Navigation.
Fog: If the prevailing weather is brisk
or better, ignore this result. Otherwise, a
fog bank rolls in and envelops the ship.
Vision is reduced to 20 to 80 percent (2d4
x 10 percent) of normal. Reveal, the
reverse of the Obscure spell, can clear this
type of fog away from a local area.
Fog effects are experienced for Id4
days. It is customary to reduce speed by
up to 50 percent or more to avoid collisions under these foggy conditions.
When sailing within 50 miles of a coast or
in busy sea lanes, there is a 2 percent
chance of colliding with another vessel;
within 1 mile of a coast, there is a 10 percent chance of hitting submerged rocks or
a reef. The DM may wish to increase these
chances for ships which do not reduce
speed in fog. A player character statement or a failed Ship Sailing skill roll can
indicate that this is the case. When ships
collide in fog, each damages the other,
inflicting 2dlO points of damage to the
other ship's hull for each 50 hull points of
its own. Submerged rocks or reefs cause
from IdlO to idlOO points of damage, at
the DM's discretion.
Frozen Precipitation: Frozen precipitation refers to three specific kinds of precipitation: hail, sleet, and freezing rain.
Hail or sleet occurs between 30 and 50
degrees Fahrenheit, when it rains and the
upper atmosphere is colder than the
lower atmosphere. If the DM decides
these conditions do not exist, ignore this
result. Otherwise, there is an 80 percent
chance of encountering either hail or
sleet. Hail or sleet lasts Id4 hours, reduces vision to one-fourth of normal, and
coats the deck with ice pellets or slippery
slush. If the waves are high or stormtossed, the DM can require Dexterity
checks from characters attempting even
ordinary maneuvers on this slick footing.
Freezing rain occurs when rain falls
through a cold air layer that is not deep
enough to turn the rain to snow as it falls.
Instead, the rain freezes and turns to ice
when it lands. There is a 20 percent

chance that this sort of precipitation is

encountered if the air temperature is
below freezing. It lasts Id6 hours.
Freezing rain coats decks, rigging, and
even sails with ice. It is especially hazardous to sailors who must work in ice-coated
rigging. Dexterity checks should be made
for ordinary maneuvers both on deck and
in the rigging. If the ship's speed is relevant to game events during the short term
of this phenomenon, movement is
reduced by 10 percent because of the difficulty adjusting sail and working the rigging.
Squall: A squall is a sudden rain storm
which catches a vessel and passes over it
relatively quickly. It is recognizable as a
line of black clouds on the horizon, moving rapidly closer. In cold weather a squall
can precipitate snow instead of rain.
A squall lasts for IdlOO +10 minutes.
If the final result is 90 or greater, it lasts
for Id4 hours instead. If ship movement
is relevant to game events during this
phenomenon, adjust the movement rate
accordingly. Otherwise, a squall has a
negligible effect on movement and travel
time.
If a squall is sighted while still on the
horizon, it reaches the vessel in Id3 turns.
If it is not sighted in advance due to fog,
darkness, or other conditions, the first
clue to its approach is the sudden shift in
wind force and direction 2d8 rounds
before the squall arrives. Randomly
determine which compass direction the
squall is approaching from. That
becomes the new wind direction for the
duration of the squall.
Roll Id4 to find the force of the squall.
On a result of 4, it is an especially violent
squall which can endanger an unprepared ship. A ship prepares by clearing
decks, securing gear, and heading directly
into or away from the squall if it is expected to be a forceful one. A successful Ship
Sailing check allows a mariner to recognize the approach of this weather if it
can't be seen. A second check allows the
captain or helmsman to judge its probable force and change the heading of the
ship if necessary to ride it out.
If the ship is unprepared to weather the
squall, the DM must decide if unsecured

items on deck are blown, tossed, or washed overboard. If a squall offeree 4 strikes
from any direction except dead ahead or
astern, there is a 10 percent chance that
ballast shifts or cargo breaks loose below
decks.
Ballast, often in the form of sand in
heavy bags, is carried in the bottom of a
ship to improve its balance and handling
characteristics. When it shifts, ship
movement is reduced by 20 percent and
Ship Sailing rolls related to vessel maneuvers are penalized by -4. It requires one
day to correct a ballast problem.
Loose cargo in solid, bulky containers
(crates, barrels, etc.) inflict 1 point of hull
damage per loose load during the squall.
If the cargo is not secured by the end of
the squall, it does the same amount of
damage each hour it is left loose below
decks.
One of five squalls are accompanied by
lightning. There is a 5 percent chance
that lightning strikes the ship in a random location at a random time during
the squall. Damage effects are determined as per the lightning spell; the
Damage Table can be used to determine
the location of damage to the vessel.
Storm: A storm brings rain or snowfall,
high seas, and forceful winds. As with a
squall, storm clouds can be sighted on the
horizon. Storms move more slowly than
squalls and can occasionally (5 percent
chance) be outrun or avoided by changing course.
A storm strikes a ship 2d6 turns after it
is sighted on the horizon. Wind veers to
the direction the storm is coming from,
affecting movement and waves as
described under Weather Conditions. A
storm lasts one day, with a 20 percent
chance of continuing a second day and a
10 percent chance of continuing each
subsequent day. Lightning accompanies
20 percent of storms, with a 5 percent
chance per day of hitting the ship.
Resolve damage as per the lightning
spell.
Roll Id6 to determine the force of the
storm. On a result of 5 or 6, it blows with
great fury and is a particular danger to
unprepared ships. A vessel in a storm pre-

pares for bad weather in the same manner

as for a squall. The crew is allowed the
same Ship Sailing skill checks to notice
the approach of bad weather and put the
ship on an appropriate heading if needed.
Persons on deck in a force 5 or 6 storm
also check against Dexterity once each
day of the storm. Failure means a fall or
mishap, and the character must make a
second Dexterity check. A second failure
indicates that that person is washed overboard in the storm. The DM can decide
what happens afterward.
If the ship is unprepared for the storm,
the DM determines whether items are
lost overboard. If a force 5 or 6 storm
strikes from any quarter except dead
ahead or astern, there is a 10 percent
chance for ballast or cargo problems as
detailed under Squalls. However, cargo
which is loosened during a storm does 2
points of hull damage per load rather
than 1.
The captain must make a Ship Sailing
skill roll for each day of the storm to avoid
storm damage and again for each hexface of turning if he alters the ship's heading. These rolls are modified by -1 if the
storm is force 5, ~ 2 if it is force 6, and
2 for every 1,000 miles traveled without
proper maintainance. If a natural 01 is
rolled during the skill check, storm damage occurs anyway, reflecting natural wear
and tear, and nothing the captain's skill
could have avoided. Use the Damage
Table to find the nature and effects of
storm damage. An additional roll is made
in a force 5 storm, and two extra rolls are
made in a force 6 storm.
For each day a storm lasts, the ship is
blown IdlO x 10 miles off course, or more
if the DM wishes. (Navigation explains
how to get back on course.) Some sailing
tactics are intended to minimize this
problem and hopefully also prevent
excessive storm damage to a ship.
One common tactic is to run before a
storm, hoping that it will blow itself out
before it completely overtakes the ship.
When this tactic is used, the captain does
not have to check for storm damage. The
vessel sails its maximum movement in a
straight line in the same direction the

storm is headed. If this full movement

takes the ship into a hex which contains
land or an island, the captain must make
a Ship Sailing roll to avoid wrecking his
ship. This roll is penalized by -1 in a
force 5 storm and - 2 in a force 6. A natural 01 means failure in spite of the captain's best efforts, due to circumstances of
weather and currents. If a ship grounds
itself, the DM decides how damaged it is
and how much of the crew and cargo, if
any, can be salvaged.
On a successful Ship Sailing roll, the
ship continues its full movement left or
right along the coastline. If the coastline
bends so that the ship must turn back
into the storm, another Ship Sailing
check is made at a penalty of -4. If
failed, the ship is wrecked. If not it can
continue its progress or use the following
tactk.
A second storm tactic is to face into the
heavy weather and ride it out. This is
common practice within 200 miles of a
coast, where the land limits the distance a
ship can run before a storm, A vessel in
this circumstance is pushed backward by
the storm at a rate equal to 20 percent of
its base movement rate per day. Obviously, it is dangerous to attempt this too close
to land. Ships moored offshore which see
a storm approaching often move out to
open sea to ride it out. Vessels using this
tactic often employ a sea anchor, consisting of spars, canvas, barrels, and similar
flotsam tethered to a cable and let out
behind the ship. The extra drag helps
keep the vessel headed into the wind and
waves, and helps slow its backward movement by 5 percent.
Finally, magic can be used to counter
the effects of a storm. Merchant-princes
excel in this, typically calming the wind
and water around their vessel and creating a magical wind to blow them out of
the stormy area.
Hurricane: A hurricane brings four
days of incredibly powerful stormy
weather. It cannot be outrun or avoided
except by the use of magic. It is preceeded
and followed by 1 or 2 days of regular
storms as described above.
A hurricane doubles the ship's normal
movement rate. Modifiers for storm dam-

age rolls are doubled, as are the effects of

storm-related damage. For example,
loose cargo in a hold causes 4 points of
hull damage per load rather than 2.
A ship that tries to maneuver normally
during a hurricane runs a great risk of
being capsized or heavily damaged. A
vessel generally heads straight into a hurricane storm or runs directly before it, as
explained under Storms. Each time the
ship maneuvers or alters course, the captain must make a Ship Sailing skill check,
modified by 4 for every hex face he
changes the heading. If the roll fails,
there is a 25 percent chance that the ship
capsizes immediately and sinks within
Idl2 turns. If the ship does not capsize,
roll four rimes on the damage table.
Damage results are doubled in severity.
Characters on deck make a Dexterity
check each day of the hurricane. The rolls
suffer a penalty of 4 unless characters
are tethered to safety lines. A failed roll
indicates a mishap or a fall, and a second
Dexterity check must be made. Failure
indicates that the person is washed overboard in the storm. The DM can decide
what happens next, but persons lost in a
hurricane are hardly ever rescued unless
they were wearing safety lines.
Waterspout: A waterspout is a tornado
that forms over water and follows a completely random path across the sea. Most
last for Id20 turns, but 10 percent of
them last for IdlO hours. There is a 5 percent chance that a waterspout will hit a
vessel regardless of the ship's maneuvers
to avoid it.
A waterspout has a 50 percent chance
of lifting a sailboat out of the water, but
only a 5 percent chance of doing this to a
ship. A vessel that is lifted by a waterspout takes IdlO x 10 points of hull damage and is dropped IdlOxlO yards away in
a random direction. When the vessel
drops, it suffers another Id6 x 10 points
of hull damage.
If a ship is struck by a waterspout but
does not leave the ocean's surface, roll
four times for storm damage on the Damage Table and double the severity of the
effects. Persons on deck save against Dexterity. Failure means they are plucked up
by the watery wind, suffer 3dlO points of

Sail IN q
damage, and are dropped Idl0xl0 yards
away in a random direction.
Whirlpool: Ninety percent of the
whirlpools encountered are natural phenomena found in coastal areas in relatively shallow water (100 feet deep or
less). They are usually the result of strong
tide and current effects through unusual
ocean bottom configurations. The
remaining 10 percent of whirlpools have
magical origins and can be encountered
anywhere in the ocean.
If a whirlpool is already in motion, it
can be avoided with a successful Ship
Sailing skill roll. Otherwise, the water
begins its swirling rotation while the ship
is in its area of effect. A Ship Sailing roll
at a penalty of - 2 must be made in order
to escape, or the ship is swept around in a
giant circular path. Another escape
attempt can be made each hour, but with
a cumulative penalty of - 2 for each hour
the whirlpool swirls. A whirlpool lasts
Id6 hours. A ship caught in the watery
funnel at the end of that time takes
2dlOxlO points of hull damage, either
from being dashed on the ocean bottom
or flooded.

Use the Damage Table to find the nature

and degree of storm or battle damage to a
ship. Battle damage is usually inflicted by
enemy artillery fire. The location of magical
damage, although not its severity, can also
be found on the chart. Storm damage is
checked as noted under Unusual Weather
or at the DM's discretion. Nonsensical
results should be ignored: a ballista attack
from the front of a ship will not snap the
rudder cables, for instance, nor can a ship
with already-broken masts lose another. In
such cases, either roll again or assign the
damage to the hull.
Damage and Movement: Find the percentage of original hull points remaining
in a damaged vessel. The ship's base
movement rate is reduced by the amount
indicated below. A sailing ship with only
25 percent of its hull points remaining is
too severely damaged to sail. It drifts with
the wind and current until it is repaired.

Damage Table
Roll

Damage

2-3

Mast

4-7
8-10
11-18
19-21
22-23
24

Yardarm
Sail
Hull
Hull
Hull
Steering

HP(1) 2dI2

Location

Lost Description

Mast snaps, tearing away rigging and sails. When all masts are gone,
ignore yatdarm or sail damage and roll again. (2)
Yardarm breaks, taking sail and rigging with it.(3)
Sail rips or blows out, becoming useless. (3)
Planks above the waterline are sprung
Planks below the waterline are sprung
Major structural damage: broken planks, splintered timbers, etc.
Rudder cables snap or wheel is disabled. (4)

-10
- ld4
-Id4
-Idl0
-2dl0
-3dl0
- 10

(1) Hull damage is doubled if it results

from a hurricane.
(2) A ship's base movement is reduced
each time it loses a mast. The speed
reduction is based on the original number of masts, as follows.

When a ship has only 10 percent of its

original hull points left, violent wave
action can break the weakened structure
up, inflicting additional damage until
repairs put the ship above the minimum
10 percent.

Percent of Original
Hull Points
Base Movement
Remaining
Rate Reduced by

100
-20%
75
50
-50%
-100%
25
check for wave dmg
10

Brisk
Id2 hull points/day
Strong
Id4 hull points/day
Squall,
Storm
Id6 hull points/day
Storm (force
5 or 6) Idl0 hull points/day
Hurricane 2dl0 hull points/day

No. of Masts:
Loss of Mast cuts
speed by:

1
Vl

2
/2

/3

V4

A ship blown before a storm will still

move even with no masts (see Weather
Conditions) because it drifts with the
storm wind, but it cannot maneuver
except to turn directly into the wind.
(3) After 6 points of yardarm or sail damage is done, one mast no longer holds
sail. Treat vessel as if it has lost a mast for
movement purposes.
(4) A ship with disabled steering drifts
until the bow points into the wind. If the
weather condition is "strong" or worse,
the ship may be hit broadside by waves
and capsized if it does not turn into the
wind quickly and stay there precisely. Roll
against Ship Sailing skill to avoid this
problem. A force 5 storm penalizes the
roll by 2, a force 6 storm by - 4, and a
hurricane by -8.
A sea anchor is usually employed to
accomplish this steering maneuver. If the
ship is already using a sea anchor when the
steering is lost, the Ship Sailing modifiers
above become -0, -2, and -4, respectively. A capsized ship sinks in Idl2 turns.
40

A ship reduced to 0 HP sinks.

NaviqatiON
The Navigation skill described in the
Adventurer's Guidebook is important for
safe and accurate sea travel over any distance. When navigation rolls fail, a ship
goes off course or becomes lost at sea. A
vessel is off course when it is following a
heading other than the one it needs to
arrive at its destination. It is lost when the
navigator is no longer certain what heading is needed to get it to its destination.
However, even when a ship is lost, navigators and captains usually have a general
idea of where the nearest large land mass
might be. If all else fails, a voyage can be
interrupted to find that land mass and
pinpoint the ship's location.
If there is no one with Navigation skill
directing the ship's travel, there is a far
greater chance for the vessel to become
lost at sea. A character with Ship Sailing
skill can apply that ability to navigation
attempts but each roll is modified by 10. A character with only Boat Sailing
skill is successful only on a die roll of 2 or
less, and a character with none of these
skills navigates correctly by mere luck on a

roll of 1. Water elves add +1 to their

Navigation skill rolls for each of their
senses (direction and navigation) that is
working correctly at the time. Navigators
without the correct sea charts suffer a - 2
modifier to their rolls.
All navigation rolls are made secretly
by the DM. Failure means wrong conclusions, which the DM should impart to the
character as if he were navigating correctly. Characters who suspect they are off
course or lost can save vs. Intelligence or
Wisdom, whichever is greater. A successful roll confirms the truth of the matter
and permits a second Navigation check at
5 to the roll. If successful, course is corrected or the ship's position pinpointed.
When characters are off course, the DM
must keep track of two ship positions: the
true one, and the false one where the
characters think they are.
Navigation checks are made in the following circumstances. After every week
of travel with brisk or strong winds, the
vessel is likely to drift downwind of its
course. A successful Navigation check
keeps it on course. Failure means the ship
has moved one hex downwind of its former position. If this would put the vessel in
sight of land, inform the crew what they
see.
During a storm or hurricane, keep
track of the distance traveled by the ship,
the direction it is blown in by the storm,
and the amount, if any, by which it is
blown off course. After the bad weather,
a Navigation check is made. Success pinpoints the ship's current hex and heading.
If this roll fails, the character's estimate
of the ship's position is one hex off for

every point by which the roll failed. This

false position is in a randomly selected
direction downwind of the storm and the
ship's original position. If the ship was
already off course at the start of the
storm, the navigator's new position estimate is based on where he thought the
ship was.
Finally, navigation checks are made any
time the ship encounters fog or overcast
skies. If the check fails, the ship drifts
into a new heading, turning 1 hex face for
every 2 points by which the roll failed.
When the weather clears, another check
can be made to get back on course. The
DM can assign modifiers to the roll to
reflect the ease or difficulty of realizing
the ship is off course.

Sea ENCOUNtCRS
There is a 10 percent chance per week
of travel of having an encounter that is
not weather related. There are two sets of
encounter probabilities. One is for
coastal waters and sea lanesplaces heavily traveled by ships. The other is for
uncharted waters and the high seas, the
latter being those ocean areas away from
sea lanes and land masses.
Coastal and Sea Lane Encounters
Ship, merchant
01-33
Ship, pirate
34-40
41-50
Ship, smuggler
Ship, navy
51-60
61-70
Islet/reef
71-00
Monster
Uncharted Waters and Seas Encounters
01-20
Ship, merchant
21-30
Ship, pirate
31-50
Islet/reef/island
51-00
Monster

The details of sea encounters are for the

DM to set, but these guidelines apply.
Merchant ships are generally on the
lookout for pirates, especially when other
ships are encountered. Pirates often disguise themselves as merchant vessels.
Navy ships sometimes stop and inspect
vessels they suspect of being pirates or
smugglers. Smugglers avoid other ships.
Their craft tend to be fast so they can outrun others, and they carry rich cargos.
Rules for chases and evasion are given in
the Expert rulebook on page 44. Ship-toship combat is further discussed under
Privateers.
Islets and reefs encountered are navigation hazards. They can be avoided with a
successful Ship Sailing skill roll, but if
they are hit they inflict from IdlO to
IdlOO points of hull damage. Many small
uncharted islands are scattered across the
ocean; they are not normally a navigation
hazard, but offer a chance to explore and
forage.
Monsters abound in the ocean. From
sirens luring sailors to their deaths on
rocky islets, to the formidable kraken of
the deep sea, the DM should have no
problem finding challenging monsters in
the D&D rule books. Sea creatures are
usually sighted at normal distances (40240 yards), with modifiers as needed for
weather and sea conditions. Even such
ordinary things as kelp beds and icebergs
can be treated as monster encounters if
they are close enough to endanger a ship.
Additional encounter information is
given on page 44 of the Expert rules.

Secnets of tl7e MiNROttyaD Elves

Water Elves When Caiitha Starbrow ascended to
immortality in Evergrun, she created as
her test the Pearl of Power, a living relic
that is the close-kept secret of the water
elf clans of Minrothad.
The original pearl was left in Evergrun
when some of Starbrow's followers
migrated with Ilsundal out of that land
(see GAZ5). A ftagment of the pearl was
secretly taken by Poladan Meditor, at that
time an assistant keeper of the relic. The
original pearl has since become lost to history and is believed destroyed.
The relic is a semi-sentient creation,
growing over the ensuing centuries from
a ftagment into an entite Pearl of Power.
(The method for doing so is explained
below.) At first Meditor was secretive
about what he had done. For a long time
the water elves had no relic at all to speak
of, and when the fledgling pearl began to
develop, the new keeper and his assistants kept the news to themselves. When
the power of the off-shoot relic became
noticeable, the keeper was confirmed in

his office, but the elves kept news of their

clan relic from their human neighbors.
These old habits of secrecy die hard. The
Pearl of Power is seen by few in Minrothad, and spoken of by fewer.
The relic appears to be a massive
irridescent pearl 3 feet in diameter. It
glows with a gentle golden-pink light,
illuminating all within a 40-foot radius.
It is warm and smooth to the touch, and
rests on a giant shell lined with mother of
pearl. The shell came from a giant oyster
in local water, and has nothing to do with
the pearl's powers. The relic is located in
the hidden Grotto of the Pearl in the sea
caverns beneath Seahome on Alfeisle.
If a hand-sized layer of the pearl is
chipped off the relic, the scar left where
the fragment was removed heals over the
course of one year. These fragments are
used to craft various magical items, as
explained below. Removing more than
one fragment a year reduces the pearl's
turning range by 5 feet. When that range
drops below 300 feet, it loses one spelllike ability (randomly determined) for
each 5 feet the range is further reduced.

SeatjOMe ovenview exteRiOR

As with other relics, this range returns at

the rate of 5 feet per day.
The Pearl of Power can cure blindness,
cure disease, neutralize poison, cure serious wounds, Identify magical items, and
turn undead in the same way as other clan
relics. The pearl is also used to make several magical items valued by the water
elves. Through the medium of this relic,
the immortal Calitha bestows unique
spells on the keepers. These spells are
marked with (K) on the merchant-prince
spell list.

Relic Cnafts
Pearl fragments are used to create special magical items.
A pearl fragment ground up is the primary ingredient in a potion of water
movement made by the water elves. This
potion allows the imbiber to move underwater or on the Elemental Plane of Water
as easily as if he were surrounded by air.
The effect lasts for one day. It does not,
however, enable him to breathe underwater; some other method is required to
gain that ability.
A ring of water walking can be crafted
from a pearl fragment. Not only can the
ring's wearer walk on water, but so can
anyone in physical contact with him
when he exercises this spell effect. Some
water elf merchant-princes are gifted
with these rings in thanks for their services to the elves of Seahome.
For special purposes, three fragments
of the pearl are sometimes used to create a
staff of air and water. This staff also provides the ability to breathe water, and its
effects on the Elemental Plane automatically extends to a 10-foot radius. A staff
of this type cannot be bought, but is
sometimes given to a hero to aid in a
quest important to the water elves.

42
~A
;1<^j-HiM^y-a-u-Q-a4^QQ4^a-y-B-a^^

KT

Secuets of tlje MiNKOtl7at> Elves

5/7/p of Pea i?/ - grow. After Id4 centuries, the pearl
The keeper and his assistants can use
the Pearl of Power to create a ship of
pearl. The vessel is made in this manner.
Once each month the pearl is rituaHy
bathed in the seawater of the grotto.
When all the seawater but one drop has
evaporated, the keeper captures that
droplet in a vial made of pearl fragment.
This is repeated throughout the years
until the vial is full of sea dew, a process
which takes 100 years to complete. Meanwhile, a layer of pearl the width of one
hand is chipped off each year and set
aside for the future construction of the
ship. More fragments can be collected if
desired, but each in excess of the first
reduces the pearl's power as noted above.
When enough fragments are collected,
they are mortared together into the shape
of a ship. The cement is made of ground
mother-of-pearl with half the sea dew
mixed into it. Finally, at the right
moment of the year, the ship of pearl is
annointed with the rest of the sea dew,
and the magical craft is ready to be used.
The ship of pearl holds 10 elves. Obeying verbal commands, it travels on water
to any place named, moving 360 feet per
round or 215 miles per day. The ride is
smooth to those within the ship, regardless of wind, weather, or wave conditions.
The ship can travel on fresh as well as salt
water, and magically avoids navigation
hazards such as islets and reefs. If such lie
unavoidably between the ship and its
destination, it stops short near the obstacle until told where to proceed.
The Minrothad water elves have never
made a ship of pearl, although the keeper
knows how it is done. Now, for the first
time in centuries, they have enough of
the required materials to cteate one if
they wish.

tlje PeaxI
If a full vial of sea dew is used to anoint
a pearl fragment freshly removed from
the mother pearl , the fragment soon curls
in upon itself and takes on the appearance of a normal pearl. If this pearl is
bathed monthly in sea water and the
proper rituals performed, it begins to

reaches maturity and its sentience

awakens, whereupon it gains the same
abilities as the original Pearl of Power.

Woob Elves
The Verdier clan of elves left their clan
tree behind when they emigrated from
their homeland. Some say that tree was
the inspiration for Ilsundal's later creation, the Tree of Life, familiar to so many
mainland elves (see GAZ 5 and CM7,
Tree of Life). However this may be, the
Verdier elves arrived in the Minrothad
Islands without any relic at all. Whatever
sprig or offshoot of the clan tree went
with them had perished during their long
travels.
When these elves isolated themselves
from their water elf kin in the early days
on Alfeisle, they withdrew into the forests heartsick for the woodlands they had
left behind. Alawyn Verdier was keeper at
that time, although no relic existed for
her and her assisrants to guard. Discontented with her useless existence, Alawyn

SeafjOMe iNSiOe QRotto

and a few brave companions went on a

quest to find a new relic for the Verdier
wood elves.
The keepers were gone for five years.
After adventures which took them to the
planes of the Immortals, Alawyn and her
friends returned, much aged and fewer in
number, but with a relic of sorts for their
isolated clan. They had brought with
them the Carven Oak, a powerful artifact
given to the wood elves by the immortal
they follow.
The Carven Oak is a life-sized carving
of an oak tree. It stands 30 feet tall and is
made of solid wood, of a type even the
forest elves cannot identify. The trunk
and branches are carved to look like bark,
the leaves resemble leaves down to the
finely-detailed veins. Besides the leafcovered branches, the Carven Oak was
made with 100 separate branchlets standing starkly alone.
The Carven Oak stands in a heavily
guarded sacred grove not far from Verdun
on Alfeisle. Mahogany grows in this
island forest, but the Carven Oak stands
alone in a clearing 200 feet across. The

Secuets of tlje MiNROttjat) Elves

artificial tree is deeply rooted, originally
with the base of its trunk set deeply in the
ground. It appears that the trunk has taken root in the past century. Although the
rest of the artifact is clearly dead wood, its
keepers are hopeful that it may be turning into a living tree.

Autif act Poweus

The Carven Oak is a greater artifact created by an immortal of the Sphere of
Time. It possesses none of the powers of
traditional elf clan relics, although its
powers are great enough in their own
right. Only the current keeper, Rewen
Verdier, and his senior assistant, Hani
Ohwn, understand all the powers, uses,
and dangers of the artifact.
The artifact is charged with 500 power
points. It recharges at the rate of 20
points per turn, or 120 an hour. The artifact has these powers:
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
C
C
C
D

Control Plants
Control Animals
Turn Wood
Blight
Speak with Plants
Find the Path
Pass Plant
Warp Wood
Create Normal Object
Wish
Cure Wounds

35
60
45
10
30
80
35
15
75
100
15

The Carven Oak has these handicaps

and penalties. Handicaps are permanent
effects; penalties wear off when the duration has expired or the artifact is no longer possessed,
Handicaps: The junior immortal Oley-

an is imbedded in the Carven Oak and

bound to serve the wood elves, the result
of a dispute he lost with the creator of the
artifact. This is unknown to any but the
keeper himself. It is because of Oleyan's
presence that the Carven Oak has begun
to take root. He has 1,500 years of service
left, or until the artifact is destroyed.
Oleyan will help anyone who comes to
destroy the Carven Oak, for he has long
since become bored with this existence.
He can communicate telepathically with
anyone touching the Carven Oak, but
does not do so unless he senses that person might be sympathetic to his desire for
freedom.
When control plants, speak with
plants, or pass plant is used, there is a 20
percent chance that the user loses 1 hit
point permanently.
If two powers are used in a single day,
the user suffers 50 percent to attack
ranges for missiles and spells for the next
24 hours.
Penalties: When wish is invoked,
there is a 90 percent chance that the user
will die. There is no saving throw, and
this effect does not reverse itself if the
artifact is destroyed.
When using find path, control
animals, or create normal object, there is
a 60 percent chance that the user becomes
compelled to serve the wood elves as if
under a geas. This does not occur if the
character is already serving the elves with
his use of these powers.
When warp wood or cure wounds are
used, there is a 5 percent chance for the
user to age 15 years.
For each power used, there is a 50 percent chance that the user's Dexterity
drops by 3 for one day.

44
.^Wi^Q-MHJ^^Q-B-aHJ-mMHH^^

If a power costing more than 50 power

points is used, there is a 50 percent
chance that the user's next saving throw is
penalized by Idl2.

ActivatiON
These powers can be activated in two
ways. The most common is to touch the
Carven Oak and invoke the name of the
power. The second way is to break off one
of the leafless branchlets of the artifact.
At any later time, the user can break that
branchlet in half and invoke the name of
the desired power. The power then takes
effect as if the user were touching the artifact. If a branchlet is broken without a
power being named, it is not wasted;
each lesser length retains its power until
one artifact ability is invoked. This ability
can only be used once per branchlet, no
matter how many twigs it is broken into.
This latter method of activation in
effect makes each branchlet a one-time
magical device that can be used at any
distance from the carven oak. These
branchlets are given on rare occasions to
adventurers or heroes working in the
cause of the Verdier clan. When the keeper gives a branchlet for this purpose, he
tells the recipient what spell effect the
branchlet has. He does nor mention that
any branchlet can invoke any power, nor
what the full range of powers are. If a person receives more than one branchlet,
they are painted or tied with colored
string so that the supposedly separate
spell effects can be told apart. There are
currently 82 branchlets remaining on the
Carven Oak. Once they are gone, they
cannot be replaced. No other pieces of
wood from this artifact have the same
remote power effect.

aisit) Cities: A tRabeR's TTOUR

with commentary by wood elf Elgis
Carver, Master Trader, Guild Verdier
It be a. life-long mutter to learn each
town and village of the Minrothad
Islands, Each has its own look and feel, its
own specialties to trade, its own interests
to protect in politics. I been plying these
waters over four hundred years, taking
Guild Verdier business atwccn the various guild islands. No mainland trade for
me! There be enough people here in this
vasty territory to keep an honest trader
busy for hundreds more years.
The islands of the Minrothad Guilds
occupy 6,552 square miles. They are
inhabited by a population of mixed races
totaling 280,000. The ocean's bounty
and the quantities of food imported by
Minrothad allow this nation to support
the densest urban population found on
any islands of the Known World.
The geography of the Minrothad Isles is
described in the Adventurer's Guide. The
products and businesses in towns of interest
are dictated by the race and guild found
there, which are also detailed in the Guide.

's Isle
Trader's Isle is a misty, foggy place,
especially along the north shore where
the largest settlements be. It takes a canny navigator to work through the shoals
outside of the harbors. When the
Dragon's Breath trade winds blow clear,
you can see the peaks of Trader's two
extinct vokanos: Landfall Peak in the
north, and Immortal's Home to the
south. The first colony leader, Minroth,
disappeared on Trader's Isle when he
hiked to the top of the southern volcano.
Minrothians believe he be there still, awaiting for a good time to return.
Nithian Reef guards the entrance to
Harbortown. Gornly Shoals outside the
city of Minrothad both protects the capital and offers good fishing for local fishermen.
Under
most
conditions,
Mintothaddans can navigate these hazards without difficulty, but foreign sailors
do so with a penalty of - 6 to Ship Sailing
skill rolls. For a fee (see Speculative
Trade), the harbor master provides pilots

45

to guide foreign ships into these ports.

Pilots meet incoming ships in rowboats or
navy patrol ships, but in winter storms
and at night time most vessels
including those of the guilds wait for
better visibility before attempting to
make harbor.
The humans of Trader's Isle have been
plagued with lycanthropy in the past;
outbreaks continue today. Lycanthropes
might be encountered anywhere on this
island. This problem is not mentioned
abroad, and should come as a surprise to
PCs who encounter werecreatures.

Our capital be Minrothad, on the

northeast side of Trader's Isle. We sometimes call it the city of Minrothad, or simply "the city," so as not to confuse it with
the name "Minrothad Guilds." It's bigger than many a continental trade city.
The sea port has plenty of moorage for
ships, bat them that come to trade and
not just take on supplies sail up the
LithwUlow River or get towed the

aNt> Cities: A 'CRa&eR's

quarter-mile to the city proper.
Minrothad stands mostly on a fortified
island inside the Alphatian Caldera. That
be what little is left of an old volcanic
cone that blew itself up, filled now with a
lake formed by the Lithwillow Rivef. The
Lithwillow drains down from Landfall
Peak, into the caldcra, then downhill
again to the sea. Ah, the city be a grand
sight in the sunriselike a fairy city,
afloat on the misty water, ringed about
with high towers of white stone. Ship
captains say there are few places that look
as grand when they're first seen,
The city of Minrothad has a class B port
and shelters a population of 25,000. It is
the seat of government for the Minrothad
Guilds, the busiest trade city and largest
port in the islands, and is the base of
operations of the oldest trading houses in
the nation. Any sort of character can be
encountered in Minrothad and almost
any type of good can be purchased here.
Strong dwarf-built fortifications and its
peculiar geographical location make this
one of the most impregnable settlements
of the Minrothad Islands.
The Alphatian Caldera where the city
is located was named for the colonists
who founded New Alphatia on this site.
What little remains of the volcanic formation is not far above sea level. The
Lithwillow flows downhill to the sea, but
its channel has been widened and leveled
to eliminate rapids and accomodate towed vessels. Similarly, the caldera has been
dredged and widened to allow maneuvering room for the ships which make port at
Minrothad city.
Minrothad is built out of quarried
stone and bricks. Most residential buildings are two or three stories tall, with
bricks of dwarf-made tufa, which is compacted volcanic dust.
The crenelated fortifications are
impressively tall, rising to great heights
out of the surrounding water. The major
wall which rings the outer city (1) is 400
feet above the water level, set at intervals
with round towers (2) standing 500 feet
high. Towers (3) which guard the ruling
guild master's stronghold and the harbor
gates ring the southwestern portion of the

city. These stronghold towers have a 600foot-high base and are surmounted with
a second, narrower tower which rises an
additional 100 feet. The stronghold towers flanking the sea gate have catapults,
but other towers are topped with ballistae, easier to use in the relatively short
ranges within the caldera.
The river gate (4) to the inner harbor is
hung with two sets of butterfly gates.
This gives admittance to a broad, protected lagoon, an artificial harbor beneath
the fortifications of Meditor Hall (20),
the palace and stronghold of the ruling
guild master. Opposite the river gate are
docks for six fighting galleys, Minrothad's
reserve naval force for defense against
enemies who might make it as far as the
Alphatian Caldera. In the center of the
lagoon is a man-made island ringed with
docks. Water-powered elevator platforms
descend from overhead to hoist goods up
to the level of the city. In this way enemies
are prevented from easily entering Minrothad in time of war.
One staircase is concealed at the rear of
the galley storage sheds, but it is intended for use only in manning the war ships
if there is no time to use the elevators.
Treat this as a secret door for characters
attempting to discover its location. The
staircase is protected by an earth elemental, conjured for this purpose and permanently bound to this location. The
elemental normally appears to be part of
the stone wall next to the concealed staircase entrance. The elemental attacks anyone who searches for and then opens the
entrance, since it is thought that only
unauthorized persons would need to
search for this portal in the first place.
The staircase is also trapped so that it
will collapse with the pull of a lever in
Meditor Hall, thus denying egress to the
enemy. This is done only if the elemental
fails to prevent the enemy from using the
staircase.
At the opposite end of the city is a single bridge, the Hammerspan (5), connecting the city of Minrothad with its
land-based outer fortifications in what is
locally refered to as Market Town (6-10).
The Hammerspan is nearly 150 feet wide
and over 300 feet long, crenalated and set
46

:XJWoMaMMOJHHKKHi-MHiK^

at intervals with statues commemorating

famous figures in Minrothad history. The
bridge is supported by a single massive
center pylon, resulting in two tall, wide
arches under either half of the roadway.
These arches are high enough that galleys, most sailboats, and ships with their
masts unstepped can pass beneath.
At the landward end of the Hammerspan is a 400-foot-tall bridge barbican
(10). It opens into the Outer Market (7)
of Market Town, where farmers, fishermen, and Trader's Isle inhabitants bring
their goods to trade. Livestock is kept in
the pens and stockyards (8) while laborers
and many members of the first caste
reside in districts near the wall (9). The
main gate of these outer fortifications (6)
stands 400 feet above the water and 250
feet above the surrounding land.
On the island side of the Hammerspan
is the Minrothad city gate (11), an
elaborately-carved ediface which towers
500 feet above the water level. The city
gate opens into the Lower Market (12),
where local crafts, produce, and cheap
imports are sold. The Lower Market is
flanked by the shops and workspaces of
second caste peddlers and craftsmen (13),
most of whom live behind or above their
shops. The residences and workshops of
the more prosperous second caste Minrothaddans are found to either side at a
greater remove from the city gate and
Lower Market bustle (14). First and second caste citizens engage in complex
manufacturing work in the factory districts (15), where weaving, woodwork,
and other labor-intensive crafts are conducted. In all of these neighborhoods,
craftsmen group together in distinct
areas, identifiable by names such as the
Street of the Oilsellers or Candlemakers
Lane.
This outer city crafts district is separated from the inner city by Craft Row,
which forms half a ring around the city.
Craft Row connects the shops and districts where the most common crafts of
the Minrothad Guilds are produced. It is
considered the greatest shopping street in
the country, famed as a place where the
greatest variety of products can be seen on
display in one place.

T:OWNS aNO Cities: A OiaOen's Coim

MiNROttjaO city oycRview_*~-^X-

The defensive wall (16) of the inner

city stands 550 feet above water level and
125 feet above the crafts district. The wall
is pierced by Guild Master's Gate, which
opens onto the Guild Master's Way. The
way runs through the center of the inner
city, terminating at the ruling guild master's palace.
Merchant residences and guild businesses of the third caste ring the interior
of the inner city wall (17). Here are silk
merchants, gold and silver smiths, jewelers, dealers in magical supplies, and other
well-to-do traders in luxury goods. Closer
to the center of the inner city are the residences of the fourth caste guild and craft
masters; closer to the palace are the townhouses of merchant-princes and members
of the council of guild leaders (18). In the
center of this elite pan of town lies the
Upper Market (19), where the best of
imported goods and uptown crafts are
displayed for sale.
Meditor Hall (20) is the palace and
stronghold of the ruling guild master.
Although carved and ornamented, the
exterior shows defensive practicality with

narrow windows and solid walls. Within,

the interior is decorated in a style reflecting the ecelectic Minrothad taste. Alphatian lacquered tables stand on costly
Vestland furs and hold exotic carvings in
Thyatian marble. Products of the Minrothad Guilds hold honored places as well.
The palace is impressive to foreign dignitaries, as much for the unusual collector's
style in which it is decorated as for the
wealth the materials represent.
Meditor Hall contains government
offices in the outer portions near Guild
Master's Way, while Oran Meditor's family and private quarters are in the more
remote sections closer to the river gate.
The first consort oversees state receptions
and other functions held in this building,
which also houses offices used by foreign
ambassadors and the council of guild
leaders. The seneschal of the city of
Minrothad has his residence just outside
Meditor Hall at the head of Guild Master's Way. The seneschal uses offices and
staff in the ruling guild master's palace to
take care of the business of the city.
This palatial stronghold is reinforced
47

with defensive walls (21) which connect

to the stronghold towers (3). If these towers are overrun the defenders escape
across removable bridges (23) to the interior fortifications. The bridge is withdrawn, dropped, or burned. Inside, the
fortress features courtyard stables (22)
and room for the ruling guild master's
Mercenary Guild retinue.
Two regiments of Home Guard # 1 are
stationed inside this segment of the
stronghold, while other units are based in
Market Town and in the countryside. The
Home Guard in Meditor Hall drills regularly with horses. This mounted capability is part of their quick-response tactics in
case of attack.

HanOontowN
Even when there were a sight more
humans around, the Corset family always
had their hand in Hafbortown 's business.
Even though Harbortown be smaller than
the city ofMinrothad, Guild Corset trade
be very prosperous. But I warn ye this:
plots be fast and thick in Harbortown. If

trowNS aND Cities: A Cuabeu's Coun

you be friendly to Oran Meditor or Guild
Elsan, you'll not be too welcome if you
plan on staying. That never interferes
with a sale or a trade, of course. But
Guild Corser has its own mind on how
things should run in politics.
Harbortown has a class C port and a
population of 12,000, comprised mainly
of humans. Situated on the western shore
of Minroth Harbor, the town is undergoing a rapid expansion. It has doubled the
area within its walls by building new fortifications and a new stronghold for the
Guild Corser guild master.
Harbortown is now divided into two
towns, the old and the new. Old Town
contains ancient brick buildings, most of
which are two stories tall. In this part of
town are old and aristocratic residences
and the businesses and market places of
the wealthy, well-established merchants.
Remnants of the old defensive wall stand
in Old Town, and rubble from its demolition is being used to strengthen the harbor wall and various stone docks.
New Harbortown encompasses the
dwellings and workshops of common
craftsmen, but the walls go far beyond
them to enclose much open ground currently used as pastureland. A second
high-class merchant district is coming
into existence near the outer walls as the
well-to-do of Old Town build new homes
and businesses on this land.
Guild Corser dominates Harbortown,
Their goods and products are seen most
often in the town's markets, and their
political interests are carefully protected
as well. Persons who are known to support the ruling guild master, the political
guilds, or Guild Elsan have a very difficult time uncovering sensitive or valuable
information in Harbortown.
Harbortown's waterfront district has a
reputation of being tougher than most.
Fights and worse trouble are common
there between locals and non-Corser visitors. Persons with political differences are
popular targets of harassment and muggings or robberies are not uncommon.
Guild Corser is clandestinely bringing
in specially skilled mainlanders to disrupt
the rule of Oran Meditor. For this reason,

Glantri wizards, Thyatian assassins, and

other specially skilled persons can be frequently encountered in Harbortown. In
most instances their identity will be carefully disguised, but they are far more
powerful in random encounters than
player characters might expect.

OPEN
Open Isle be not much to the eye,
unless you like flat green fields and neat
little houses. Monotonous to look at, like
the ocean on a calm day: acre after acre of
cane, waving in the breeze, or fat-leaved
little plants growing in rows. A few trees
here and there, and then come the
orchards, many numbering all dwarf
trees imported from the Shires.
The soil be thin on Open Isle, and it
takes a world of dirt-grubbing to make it
bring forth what it does. A thankless
place to work, I be thinking. But there's
no beating the spices and cork-oak that
come from there! That be one ofMinrothad's greatest trade goods, andthehalf'
lings have done well by it.
Open Isle supports one town and many
scattered farming villages of halflings. It
is the largest producer of spices and sugar
in the Minrothad Isles, goods which are
one of the guilds' most profitable trade
items. A surplus is produced which meets
the needs of Minrothaddans, and leaves a
large quantity for export.
Storms hit Open Isle with special force.
Winds are unbroken by hills or woodland
and blast across the open expanse of fields
unmercifully. Human houses suffer periodic disasters from this onslaught of
weather, which leaves the traditional burrow homes of the haiflings untouched.
Out of necessity many humans of Open
Isle have adopted the halfling style of
housing, making them the only men and
women in the world to live in burrows in
the halfling manner.

Ma/ft ON
Malfton be the pride of the halflings.
Outside of the Five Shires it be the biggest and onliest halfling town with port
and trade run completely by halflings.

They be cheerful, industrious folks, with

the finest restaurants in the Minrothad
Guilds. There be a number of humans
and other folk living in Malfton
members of Guild Quickhandbut
they'll never outnumber the halfJings.
Malfton has a class E port and a population of about 5,000 people. Approximately 4,000 are halflings, with
additional hundreds of elves, dwarves
and humans. Almost without exception
these nonhalfling residents are members
of Guild Quickhand or merchants representing trading concerns.
This town is the capital of Open Isle. It
is built on Malfton Hill, near the delta of
the Quickhand River, about a quartermile upstream from the ocean. It was the
first settlement made by the halflings
after Malf Quickhand freed them from
slavery. At the river delta the port accomodates vessels as described under Speculative Trade. Goods are carted to and from
the docks, or are transported on river
barges.
Malfton haiflings live in burrows dug
into the lower hillside (1), marked at the
contour lines on the map. On the upper
slopes of the hill are the halfling shops,
manufactories, and warehouses (2). A
market field (3) occupies the center of
Malfton, along with a complex of guild
offices and meeting halls (4). Halfling
buildings are rustic in design, made of
rough-hewn stone and wood, and are set
in a parklike environment.
Human (5) and elvish (6) dwellings
and shops are built of wood and plaster,
while dwarves (7) prefer those made of
brick or stone. Compared to larger communities the human structures are clean,
well-built, and spacious. To the halfling's
eye, however, the dirt roads, lack of
extensive gardens, grass yards, and narrow alleys are very unappealing.
Malfton is laid out in districts according to the Guild Quickhand crafts pursued in each area. The leather district
(pink) includes a large number of the
elvish guild members. The fuel-makers
district (red) is dominated by halflings
and dwarves while the cottage industries
such as basket weaving and pottery

Cities: A
(white) account for the humans and the
remainder of the halflings.
Merchants who carry import goods and
traders who export Guild Quickhand
products are in the more well-to-do
neighborhoods higher up Malfton Rise
(blue). In this area are also found guild
halls and restaurants. The residences of
guild masters and the wealthy have similarly scenic locations (yellow).
\bunger halflings, many of whom are
political guild members, have purchased
Prospect Hill, the rise east of Malfton
where they are developing a new halfling
town. These town pioneers are the
young, single, or poorer halflings, while
those who remain in Malfton are the older, mature family guild halflings with
established businesses. Prospect-towners
do not welcome immigrants from other
islands, or Minrothaddans from guilds
not normally joined by halflings.
Malfton fortifications consist of wooden palisades (8) with towers built out of
stone and timbers. The inhabitants of
Prospect Rise are just erecting their fortifications, but the Malfton defenses were
completed ages ago and are now in poor
condition. There is not enough need to
warrant continuous repairs. Three fortified wooden bridges span the river and
barbicans guard two approaches to town.
Prospect-towners have constructed a fort
at their end of the bridge.

Alfeisie
Alfeisie be the longest of the islands,
ridged with high-bucked mountains and
covered with forested slopes. She be mote
rugged than she looks offshore from a.
ship, with mountain valleys well hidden
from the wanderer and submerged reefs
for the unwary at sea.
Alfeisie be home to the elves ofMinrothad. We Verdier elves have harvested her
trees since we first came here. We're the
only elves we know of who reforest the
woodlands. If you look, you can see the
latest cut on the side ofGregus Ridge.
Gregus Ridge is the central mountain
spine that runs the length of Alfeisie. The
inactive volcanic peak of Mount Olwin to

mHHHJ04HHHHH*OMHttHMHramHHHHH}^^

the north is its highest point. The steeplysloped ridge gives way to fertile highland
valleys and forested hills. The forest
grows so densely in these heights that
even native elves have not explored the
island exhaustively.
When checking for sea encounters
within two hexes of Alfeisie, there is a 10
percent chance per day of travel that a
submerged reef is encountered when
traveling on the southern and western
sides of this island. This chance is in addition to any results on the Sea Encounters
Tables (see Sailing Rules).

Water elves live in the northeastern

part of Alfeisie. Seaborne be their principal city, second only to the city ofMimothad in size. Only the best Minrothad has
to offer be found in Seahome. Even
wealthy wood elves and some humans go
out of their way to retire there and live in
luxury.
Seahome has a class C port and a population of almost 20,000. The inhabitants
consist predominantly of water elves,
with a minority of the other Minrothad
races represented. The city has a reputation as the wealthiest and most luxurious
in the Guilds. It surpasses even the city of
Minrothad in architectural grace and
quality of living.
The section of coast where Seahome is
located is basalt rock that has weathered
into vertical columns. Columns farther
from the coast form isolated islands,
while closer inland they are covered with
volcanic rock and topsoil which provides a
solid base for construction. Plentiful
groundwater runs off from nearby hills
and supplies the city with drinking water.
Seahome appears deceptively small for
the numbers which live there. Only scattered cottages, mansions and a few fortresses are visible on the rocky coast and
columnar islands. Most businesses,
defensive works, and many residences are
out of sight in the grottos which have
been worn out by wave action beneath
the basalt cliffs.
There are several eye-catching structures noticed by a visitor to Seahome . The

's 'Coim

homes of the well-to-do are impressive

affairs built on isolated columnar
islandsthe farther out to sea, the better. Built of timber and stone, island
mansions (1) are round, multi-storied
towers or nouses with overhanging second stories. Keeps (2) are located on the
islands most distant from the coast. The
strong ocean current which flows past
Seahome forces most ships to approach
from the north, passing unavoidably near
these keeps on their way into and out of
this port. Similarly, the land-based artillery and fortifications of the northern
defensive works (5) are located where
they are because they defend the mostused approach to Seahome.
Kesan Fortress (4) stands atop the
coastal spur which separates Seahome
Grotto from Elsan Lagoon. The fortress is
strictly a military building, with slitted
windows, switchback passageways, and
interlocking rooms and walls. This was
the first defensive structure built to protect the Seahome Grotto, originally constructed and manned by the Kesan clan
of water elves, and is commanded by
their family still. Today it guards the
entrance to the lagoon in combination
with the defenses of the Summer Palace.
The Summer Palace (3) is both palace
and fortress, intended to strengthen
Seahome's sea defenses while providing
pleasant living for its residents in the
open air and sunan enjoyable change
from the Palace of Pearl and Ivory,
located within Seahome Grotto. Within
the defensive walls the Summer Palace
grounds are parklike in appearance.
Light, airy buildings are set amid gardens
and landscaped open spaces, designed to
conceal the defensive works from the
sight of those within the palace.
Two naval harbors (6) are located on
the north and south sides of the Seahome
Grotto entrance. Additional mooring for
war ships is found in natural harbors
beneath the central and southern basalt
spurs. These harbors can be entered from
the sea, or descended to through either
Kesan Fortress or the Summer Palace.
The ships which defend Seahome are
not part of the Minrothad Navy. They are
galleys which are the property of Guild

'COWNS

Cities: A Trnabeit's t:ouu

Elsan. The vessels are manned by a volunteer naval force of experienced water
elves, some of whom were trained in
lerendi in the art and science of galley
warfare. If attacked, these ships move to
block the entrance to the grotto (8) and
utilize side tunnels as sally ports (7) and
waterways (9) for counterattacks. The
currents and wave action in these constricted spaces are tricky; captains not
familiar with Seahome naval waterways
negotiate these passages at -4 to their
Sailing Skill rolls.
Seahome Grotto (10) is the largest of
the two ocean caverns which comprise the
water elf city; Elsan Lagoon (13) is about
half its size. Both caverns together serve
as the port of Seahome. Basalt columns,
carved in the likeness of gigantic trees,
support the ceilings far overhead. Ships
moor near these pillars when not docked
at a landing zone handling cargo, Seahome Grotto shelters residences and businesses which produce high class or high
cost items, while common items and
some export goods are manufactured in
Elsan Lagoon.
Both grottos are ringed with an almost
solid wall of pueblo-like commercial and
residential buildings. The structures are
interconnected, presenting limited access
from the sea, but joined in the rear by
roads and passages. The buildings are
interrupted by landing zones (11), flat
water-level docks where ships can moor
broadside and load or deliver cargo.
Heavy defensive gates of wood and metal
open onto the landing zones to give
admittance into the complex of grotto
buildings.
The daily catch of fish is processed and
sold at the Fish Market (14) in Elsan
Lagoon. This section of cavern has additional docks to accomodate the many
fishing boats which come and go there.
In the roadways behind the waterfront
buildings are lines of fortifications (12)
consisting of interlocking gates and passageways. If a fight goes against the elves
they can seal the passageways as they fall
back, thus slowing down the attack and
buying time for defensive preparations in
the citadel.
At the rear of Seahome Grotto looms

the Palace of Pearl and Ivory, a monumental work completed centuries ago
with the elves' profits from trade. The citadel contains the palace as well as homes
and residences of the water elf elite.
Long before they became rulers of the
Minrothad Guilds, the Meditor clan lived
in this citadel and led councils of elvish
government. Since the creation of the
guilds, the Meditors have left the palace
to the water elf family guild, currently
the Elsan clan. The Meditor family
retains residences in this part of the grotto, as do other leading elvish clans.
Access to the citadel is limited to a
handful of steep stairways, designed so
that defenders can easily attack from
above with missiles, rocks, or boiling fluids. The citadel is usually only lightly
occupied, but is designed to shelter civilians and become the final battleground
in case of an overwhelming attack.
Against the grotto wall, at the rear of
the defensive outworks, is the palace, a
masterpiece of decorative architecture. It
is built of elaborate and expensive materials like ivory, mother of pearl, and gold,
and is brilliantly illuminated with permanent light spells.
Unknown to most outsiders, the Grotto of the Pearl is located beneath the palace. There the Pearl of Power, the water
elf clan relic, is kept. The keeper and his
assistants who tend it live in the palace, so
their comings and goings are unnoticed
by most. The grotto can be reached from
within the depths of the palace or by
entering the correct water-worn passage
in the basalt sea cliffs one-quarter mile
north of Seahome. The passage is nondescript; it and the grotto were discovered
only by accident, but it is now constantly
guarded by assistant keepers. The tunnel
can be entered by a small rowboat or by a
swimmer strong enough to beat the
unpredictable rip tides which flow there.
The ship-building which is the the
water elves' claim to fame is conducted at
various shipyards built along the coast
south of Seahome. Simple repairs and
maintenance are often carried out in the
Seahome caverns, but vessels requiring
major repairs or drydock work go to the
coastal shipyards instead.

Vcrdon be unlike other Minrothad

settlementspraise the Tree for that! We
don't care to be trapped behind city
walls, or cornered by the sea like the water
elves. Living in Verdon be like living in
the woods, with trees and living things all
around. Some fools think our town is
undefended, but raiding pirates have
found out differently, to their sorrow.
Verdon has defenses, all right. They are
merely more subtle than most.
Verdon has a class D port and a population of 13,000, most of whom are wood
elves. It is the only large Minrothad
settlement which does not have walls or
obvious defensive works. This is partially
because the town was built at a time when
the Minrothad Islands were a consolidated group under the control of the
guilds; inhabitants of Verdon did not
need to be as concerned about pirates or
hostile foreign colonists as the folk of earlier settlements. Too, the wood elves for a
long time lived in scattered villages and
tree-dwellings in the southern woods of
Alfeisle. They founded Verdon only
when trade increased to the point that
centralized services became needed.
When the town was built, their woodland living habits carried over into its
design.
Verdon is designed around a central
cluster of buildings which include warehouses, shops, guild businesses and some
residences. This trade center is in turn
surrounded by trees, meandering paths,
and park-like expanses with shops scattered about. Most of the elvish residences
and many of their workshops are in the
treetops overhead. The trees are primarily
mahogany and teak, adapted to dwelling
purposes with the addition of wooden
platforms in the branches and interconnecting rope bridges. Some oak trees
have been imported from the mainland
in hopes of using them as eventual dwellings, but they do not flourish in this
island climate and are now used only for
decorative landscaping.
Ringing the town off the main pathways are concealed trenches to slow
attackers. In the trees overhanging the

T:OWNS
pathways are a multitude of nets. They
serve to keep broken branches and other
debris off of the paths, yet can be
dropped at a moment's notice on anyone
moving along the walkways. The elves of
Verdon rely on dieir ability to live and
work in the trees to surprise any attackers.
Verdon is almost a quarter mile away
from the harbor and sea port which serves
it. Between the town and the port are
many lumberyards, where logs are seasoned, sawed into appropriate lengths,
and stored or shipped. Near the lumberyards, also outside of town, are work
yards where noisy and heavy woodwork
and construction are done.
Just as there are no conventional fortifications, there is no fortress or palace in
Verdon. However, the guild master of
Guild Verdier lives in a palatial estate of
rare woods built in and around several
large teakwood trees. The estate stands
near a hilltop on the northern edge of
Verdon. It doubles as guild hall for Verdier clan business and becomes the property of whoever is guild master of the
wood elf clans. This is the most impres-

Population: 13,000
Scale: ONG hex couals 500 fee!

Cities: A CuabeR's 'Coun

sive dwelling in the area, but is not generally noticed by visitors since it blends so
well with the trees and vegetation.
The Carven Oak, the artifact which
serves as pseudo-relic for these elves, is
five miles distant from Verdon in an
obscure forested valley. The wood elves
were unwilling to keep this powerful relic
in Verdon where tourists and foreign merchants might blunder across it or somehow learn of it. Since it is not a proper
relic, they had no qualms about guarding
it at some distance away from town.
Keeper Rewen Verdier and his assistants
spend most of their time in the Vale of
the Oak, where the relic is secreted. They
carefully guard the area and turn away
any nonelf visitors who get too near. Elves
on personal or official business to see the
keeper meet and talk with him in the
keeper's village at the mouth of the vale.

But the island lacked a good harbor, and

it were bypassed for that reason for centuries. It were only after we built the fortress
ofGapton on it that there were cause to
stop there. Now North Island be popular
for resupply and refitting, and quick
shelter when it blows on a mainland run.

NontT)

Elves and other long-lived folk remember the Rain of Fire and other disasters
that have changed the land and the sea..
Minrothaddans never forget that catastrophe could strike at any time. Should we

North Island be a pleasant place.

Green and forested it is, with a single
sharp line of mountains across it's back.

North Island has many coves, but the

water level in them was too shallow to be
of much use to most trading vessels.
However, this northernmost of the
Minrothad Isles is situated conveniently
close to the mainland. It has a reliable
fresh water supply and ships in need of
water often stopped there to refill their
barrels. Once Gapton was built and a harbor created, North Island became a popular stop for ships unexpectedly in need
of supplies or repairs.

TOWNS

Cities: A "Cnaoen's TOUR

ever need refuge, it were thought it

would be wise to have a safe place to go
someplace without a volcano, wellfortified and supplied. Someplace where
we'd be safe.
Gapton was the answer. We built it on
North Island, close enough to the continent and sea lanes for help should tragedy strike the islands. It be a special
communitynot much a one for tourists
or business, 'cept what ships might need
help enroute elsewhere, but a well-made
one regardless. We hope we never need to
use it, but if we do, our refuge is there.
Gapton has a class F port and a mixed
population of about 5,000. This town
was envisioned as a community of refuge,
and created solely to serve that purpose.
As well as being a stronghold with extensive housing for refugees, it holds reserves
of grain and other staple foods as well as
duplicates of irreplaceable Minrothaddan
records and writing.
The population here is mixed, with a
large number of clerics and scholars of all
races. An armed force of 1,000 Mercenary
Guild marines are based here, rotating on
and off shipboard duty with vessels leaving or entering Minrothad waters. There
are also 500 trained militia, associates of
the Mercenaries Guild who are here to
protect against possible pirate raids.
The harbor was dredged and deepened
at great expense to provide Gapton with
adequate moorage and supplies. The
waterfront is a busy concern of warehouses and supplies for ships that restock
here during their voyages.
The fortress of Gapton and the community as a whole is governed by Jerick
Wessig, a Mercenary Guild commander
appointed governor by Oran Meditor.
The fortress of Gapton sits in a saddle
of the surrounding mountains, a windy
position exposed to dominant weather
even though it is easily defensible. The
keep (1) is a massive work of stone built
partially out of the mountain ridge on
which it rests. The keep extends deeply
underground, where there are emergency
dormitory quarters for refugees, repositories of documents and other valuables,
and tons of grain and other staples. The

food is sold periodically and replaced

with a fresh supply.
Market fields and carefully tended pasturage surround the keep's outer wall and
break up the blocks of buildings within
the town walls. These clear spaces are
kept as security against a rime when refugees might have to camp there or use the
ground to grow supplemental food crops.
Clerics of various faiths reside along
with scholars (2) in what has become an
informal community of learning and
philosophical discussion. Guild offices
and service businesses (3) cater to visiting
travelers, merchants and ship captains,
while craftsmen and laborers (4) offer a
variety of products for sale. Most of these
goods are for local consumption, but
some are for export as described below.
Streams are diverted into and through
the town for drinking water and sewage
control, then are redirected and utilized
for field irrigation. On the steep slopes
below the town walls grow acres of tea.
Goats graze in the lowlands and their hair
is woven into yarn. Besides fresh vegetables sold for ship's stores, these two
products are the sum total of Gapton 's
exports, and are made expressly to bring
in outside money for the community.

FoRtRess
Fortress Island be an eerie place to visit.
Smoke and mist blow about on the
breeze, along with sulphur and fumes
from the volcano. Hardly a scrap of green
grows on that rockno surprise, with
Mount Redtongue flowing lava all the
time. The dwarves have a sheltered hole
to live in, separated by water from the
volcano. A few fishing villages dot the
edges away from Redtongue, but until
the dwarves moved there no one wanted
to visit that island. Now it be a bit of hazardous navigation, sailing so close to the
volcano to get where the dwarves live.
Redtongue does not tend to erupt and
throw rocks, mud or ash any distance.
Rather, a constant trickle or flood of lava
flows down one or more of the mountain's faces and into the ocean. NonMinrothaddan sailors who move through

the hex immediately south of Mt.

Redtongue on Fortress Island must make
a Ship Sailing skill roll. There is only a 10
percent chance that Minrothad sailors
will have to make this skill check. Failure
indicates that a navigation hazard from
the volcano is encountered, such as submerged lava rock formations in unexpected places. Such a hazard should be
treated as an encounter with a reef or islet
as described under Sailing Rules.

We thought the dwarves were preparing for war when they built Stronghold.
They crafted their homes quick enough,
but the work on their defenses went on
for years and decades. It still continues,
nowandthen. At least they've never used
their devices on guildsmen, and they do
have a right to make their home secure. I
feel sorry for the raider who be fool
enough to try and take Stronghold. Or
for that matter, the ship that tries to
sneak past Stronghold's Harbor Master!
Stronghold has a class E port and supports a population of almost 10,000.
Most of those are dwarves, with a large
number of humans and water elves residing and working in the harbor facilities.
This home of Rockhome emigrants is
built into the hillside of an old exploded
volcano. The ancient vent blew out the
center of Fortress Island, leaving a deep
bay and a deep, almost fjord-like cleft to
the sea. Redtongue, the active volcano, is
far enough away that the dwarves are not
threatened by its lava flows.
Along the length of the fjiord, devices
have been installed which are designed to
disable or sink ships in the water below.
These are especially vital at two points
where the fjiord narrows to roughly 200
feet across. Both areas have heavy concentrations of these machines.
The first point encountered when
entering from the sea has conventional
ballistae and catapults. The second point
is a one-half-mile stretch mounted with
special devices. One machine sends avalanches of rocks down the cliff face. Others are slides which deliver 60-lb. stone
balls and sharpened logs down slides,

TTOWNS aNl> Cities: A

shooting them with ballistae-like accuracy at targets below.
These defenses are designed to let an
attacking fleet past the first defensive
point with mild casualties, then really
maul it at point two. If the intruders
retreat then point one does its best to sink
all survivors. If the fleet gets past point 2
it faces the dwarf-owned, water-elf operated ships in the bay, manned with dwarf
marines and backed up by stout dwarvish
defenders on the docks.
Stronghold itself has few fortifications,
relying on its location for protection. The
town nestles into the cliff face 200 to 300
feet above the bay, and is accessible only
by one switch-back road. There are a few
ballistae and catapults on town battlements to waid off flying attackers.
The structures of Stronghold are two to
three stories tall, carved and built out of
the existing rock face and piled in a confused jumble atop each other. Easily visible are sun-dried and kiln-dried bricks
coated with lime or plaster. These supplement the primary stone building materials where tunneled-out spaces alone are
not sufficient for the dwarves' needs.
The Guild Hammer stronghold from
which the town takes its name is the highest point of the town. It is the ptimary
residence of the Hammer guild master
and various craft masters. Low-caste
dwarves in service capacities live along the
edge of the south cliff in an area of unstable ground and greater erosion. In
between are craftsmen's residences. Most
workshops and storage areas are located
deep inside the island behind the cliffs of
Stronghold in areas tunneled out by the
dwarves.
Dwarves have found silver in Fortress
Island, but most of their wealth comes
from dwarven construction and metalworking. They make stone buildings,
seige equipment, and strong fortifications, services that other towns are willing
to pay for. Their tufa bricks are in great
demand and bring a high price. Their
weapons and tools are renowned as solid
workmanship that keeps an especially
keen edge without being brittle. They
also sell alchemist supplies (brimstone,
sulphur mercury etc) to Guild Corser and

fertilizer from lava dust and other nutrients cast off by the volcano.
Guild Hammer dwarves have begun to
experiment with the use of iava in their
manufacturing techniques, since Guild
Master Thor Stronghold hates to let this
supply of tremendous and inexhaustable
heat go untapped. In theit deeper tunnels the dwarves have come across a volcanic vent that oozes lava slowly. With
this vent they are experimenting with
applications fot smelting metals and
forming the cooling lava into volcanic
bricks. This work is conducted with great
secrecy because Thor suspects it might
revolutionize manufacturing techniques
and product quality. Only time will tell.

Fine
Steer clear of Fire Island. That's a deadly one. i&u'c/ think it a long chance that
volcano would pop off and debris from it
catch you when your ship is miles out to
sea. But wore than one ship has been set
afire and some even sunk when exactly
that happened, unlikely though it seems.
Then, if you go in near the island, she's
cloaked in mist most times, and the
waters be very treacherous. At times the
peak belches out ash and mud, and
that'll catch you if you be near.
Fire Island has been avoided by most
sailors throughout its long history. The
active volcanic peak of Mount Thymas
lives up to its dangerous reputation. Most
captains believe there are no settlements
on the island, and hence no reason to stop
there. Too, the constant fog and mist
which cloaks her shores make it dangerous to attempt a landfall, so the inhospitable island is avoided even by ships that
would like to restock their water supply.
Few suspect, and even fewer know, that
Fire Island is in reality the location of the
Privateers Guild's secret base of operations, Cove Harbor.

Cove Hantion
Cove Harbor has a class E port and supports a population of 7,000. It is a prosperous town for its size, sporting an even
greater variety of goods and luxury items

's T:OUR

than are found in most legitimate settlements. Not all inhabitants ate pirates or
Privateers Guild members; many work in
ship construction, maintenance or repair,
while others do handicrafts to provide
needed goods in the community. Many
are captured passengers held for ransom,
or new guild recruits. Most residents never leave Cove Harbor, except perhaps to
sail on a buying expedition to the continent. Karendas is a favorite port of call for
Cove Harbor residents: near enough to be
reached quickly, yet far enough from
Minrothad that there is little risk or temptation to talk about the hidden privateer's town.
In spite of the vagaries of Mt. Thymas,
Cove Harbor has existed for over 200
years as a settlement. Parts of the town
burned in earlier times, with the result
that most buildings are now made of
brick or stone and a well-drilled volunteer
fire brigade exists to deal with flames
ignited by volcanic rock. Ash falls periodically on the town, but it is shoveled clear
and dealt with as an expected event.
Cove Harbor is reached by passing
through a narrow inlet which connects
with the sea. The inlet is blockaded by a
log boom and enchanted with a permanent obscure spell; only Privateers Guildtrained pilots and navigators of ships
using adequate counter-magic can navigate the passage. Even then each
approaching vessel is challenged with a
code of colored lantern signals. Unless
rhe proper response is given, the log
boom is not lowered. Well-camouflaged
ballistae and catapults on headland fortifications are there for use against
intruders who run afoul of the boom.
Once past the inlet, ships sail across a
sheltered bay to the delta of the Reedy
River. The town of Cove Harbor is located
a short distance upstream. Although the
original harbor stood on the shores of the
cove from which this settlement takes its
name, the port facilities have been drastically altered over time for additional
security. The Reedy Rivet was dredged
and widened and ships are now towed by
galleys up the Reedy to Hidden Bay, the
harbor and docks on the inland side of
the town.

TOWNS aNt> Cities: A Tua&en's TOUR

Ships entering the delta of the Reedy
are towed by boats from the harbor master's village (3) past grassy dunes and
Anchor Marsh (2) to Hidden Bay (1). The
bay is an artificial lagoon created with elemental magic and manual labor. It has
facilities to handle ships of 180 hull
points, though most privateer vessels
average less than 100 hull points. The
harbor master does not charge for the use
of facilities, nor does a privateer captain
personally pay for repair or maintenance
expenses while in Cove Harbor. The guild
covers these expenses instead, since they
receive 30 percent of the take from pirate
missions anyway. This port should be
treated in other regards as a class E port
for the purposes of determining cargo,
chart, and passenger availability.
Cargo handling is done on the southeastern docks near the Harbor Gate,
while shipyards and repair facilities are
found on the northwest shore. The shipyards here produce three pirate vessels a
year of Seahome schooner design, modified with the addition of full artillery,
boarding planks, and similar equipment.
If three vessels are under construction at
one time, as they usually are, only two
additional ships of no greater than 150
hull points can be drydocked for repairs.
This is problematical when pirate ships
urgently need repairs, so plans are underway for new expansion of Hidden Bay
and the repair facilities. On the average,
3 to 12 pirate vessels are in port at any
time. In addition, there is a fleet of seven
large galleys captured in various naval
encounters. They are pulled up on the
shore of Hidden Bay, with plans for use
should the town be attacked.
The town of Cove Harbor stands on a
hill behind defensive walls, but otherwise
is not well fortified. The privateers feel
that anyone winning past the inlet
defenses will have to confront the large
number of pirates that are in the port,
and that is adequate defense. Besides,
they don't really expect to be bothered.
Cove Harbor is well hidden and, aside
from the fact that the island is off-limits,
they are not doing anything illegal by
being here in Minrothad waters.
Cove Harbor fortifications are stone

walls which stand 50 feet high. The

Reedy River runs around the hill at the
base of the walls along two-thirds of the
town, with a dry moat for extra protection
around the remaining third. Two gates
give entrance into the town: the Land
Gate to the south and the Harbor Gate
which opens onto Hidden Bay.
Three main sewage tunnels run under
the streets of Cove Harbor, entering and
exiting the town under, or near, towers in
the wall defenses. Guild Master Harnilvar
Kasan resides in the guild hall (4), the
heart of which is fortified. It is the closest
thing approaching a keep to be found in
this pirate town. Guild business of a general nature is handled in the outlying
wings of the hall where Belina Nacory,
the Thieves Guild representative, also has
her offices.
The guild hall is not far from Shantytown (6), the remnants of the original
Cove Harbor settlement. Today Shantytown is a rundown collection of crumbling brick buildings with mazelike
alleys. It is a favorite haunt of carousing
sailors, with many drinking establishments and cheap flop houses. There is little crime in Cove Harbor, which is run
strictly by the Privateers Guild, but Shantytown is acknowledged as the one place
best avoided after dark.
Warehouses and businesses catering to
ship supply are found near the harbor
gate. These give way to practical crafts
and everyday services in the center and
southeast of town, and the homes of the
wealthy to the southwest. The guild masters' mansions (5) are the most spectacular buildings in Cove Harbor. Each is a
complex of buildings with a main entry
garden and one or more secluded pleasure gardens, all concealed behind thick
walls for privacy and defense.
The grassy area south of the guild hall
is informally called Auction Field. Weekly or monthly auctions of stolen cargos are
held there, after buyers have a chance to
inspect the goods either on shipboard or
in privateer warehouses. Cargos are sold
or traded in this manner when a captain
does not care to sell it elsewhere or when
the guild has a surplus of something it
wants to get rid of quickly. This is espe-

cially common when a pirate ship was

damaged in an encounter and must put
in for repairs. If the captain cannot work a
consignment deal, he may auction off the
cargo instead. A number of the privateers
of Cove Harbor function as regular merchants and trading captains in this
regard; after acquiring an auction cargo,
they load it on their ships and sail to a distant port to sell it. Captured vessels may
be sold the same way.

Blacknock IslaNO
Blackrock be a desert hulk of an isle,
with an angry volcano waiting to murder
any who spend much time in her waters.
There be little water or greenery there.
We use it as a landmark, and some fishermen have a village at one end.
Halfpeak, the active volcano of Blackrock Island, is enough cause for most
Minrothaddans to stay away from the
island. The small fishing village of Hermian at the eastern end thrives on catches
of exotic sea creatures drawn to the
volcanically heated watets near the
island. However, the true point of interest on Blackrock Island is the Larril Hermitage, which houses a community of six
mystics and the 12 brothers (clerics of 1st5th level) who attend them. The hetmitage stands where the sparse greenery of
the island gives way to barren lava fields,
and is supplied with food by the fishing
village. Although the existence of the
hermitage is not a secret, villagers seldom
have reason to talk about it, and so word
of its presence has not traveled far.
The mystics of this community are followers of Darrin Posman, a Minrothad
human who was once a guild port agent
in Alphatia. When his interests turned to
Alphatian mystic traditions, he left guild
service. Now Darrin is a 9th level mystic
of Lawful alignment. Since he has
attained the level of a Lesser Master, Darrin has returned to Minrothad in his old
age and founded this hermitage to share
his knowledge with others.

PensoNalities of the MiNROttjab QuilDs

Many of these nonplayer characters
have been mentioned in the preceding
text, while others appear in the Adventures section. They are arranged here in
alphabetical order with their game statistics and recommendations for play.
Spells are not detailed for magic-using
characters. Spell choices can be filled out
with magic-user spells from the D&D
rulebooks or merchant-prince spell lists if
appropriate. Likewise, only the most
importanr magical items owned by a
character are noted. The DM can assign to
NPCs other spells, equipment and abilities as needed for his campaign.
Bailey, Marden
Human /devil- swine lycanthrope (St
15, In 13, Ws9,Dx9, Co 18, Ch9;AC3
(9), HD 9*, HP 68, /AT 1 gore or blow,
D 2-12 or by weapon, SavcFl5, Mil, AL
C; Has a +1 longsword and a potion of
human control).
Marden is a portly, muscular veteran
with a shaven head and a permanent
frown. Verdier elves know that Bailey is a
devil swine and have blackmailed him

into wotking for them. This former guild

master of the Mercenary Guild is now
forced to undertake assassination missions to farther Verdier political plots.
Marden Bailey lives in the city of
Minrothad just inside the gates of the
inner city. He continues to associate with
guardsmen from his old command, using
his lycanthropic charm ability to undermine their loyalty to their new commander, the dwarf Warheart Cleaver.
Bailey persuades them to desert the Mercenary Guild for fear of theit lives, offering them the alternative of losing
themselves in the crowds and byways of
the city of Minrothad. Those who accept
end up joining Bailey's group of murderous weres, helping in the brutal assassination attacks carried out by them.
At any one time Marden has 2d4 weres
available for an assassination. Two are
devil swine like himself; the rest are wererats. In their human form they live in the
low-caste areas near the Lower Market of
the city. As assassins, these fellows
observe their victim's habits in human
form, then stalk him or her at night as

n
i i
MALFtON /
Population: 5,000;

Scale: ONE iNClj eQuals 400 feet

55

were-creatures.
Poul and Tomas, devil swine (AC 3 (9),
HD 9*, HP 40, 43, Move 180' (60'),
human form 120' (40'), /AT 1 gore or
blow, D 2-12 or by weapon, Save F9,
M10, ALC, XP 1,600).
Beldan, Nosmo
Human merchant-prince, Captain of
the Agate: F14; St 13, In 12, Ws 14, Dx
17, Co 15, Ch 17; AC 7, HD 14, HP 93,
Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D by weapon,
A/9, AL C; Casts spells as 7th-level
merchant-prince. Has oil of stillness.
Abilities: Ship Sailing (In+4), Rigging
Combat (Dx), Bargaining (In + 2), 2 broker points).
Nosmo is one of the wealthiest and
most unscrupulous of all Minrothad
merchant-princes. Other captains know
about him and avoid dealing with him.
The Merchant Sailors Guild reprimands
him regularly because of the harm he
does guild reputation in some foreign
ports, but the tremendous profits he
makes keeps their rebukes down to a slap
on the wrist.

PensoNalities of tfte MiNRotl7at> QuilOs

Nosmo is an oily-looking fellow in early middle age, with a sincere smile and
intense gaze. He relies on his charisma to
hoodwink and charm foreigners with
whom he has business dealings. He is not
above adding rocks to cargo loads to
increase their weight and apparent value,
mixing sawdust with flour, and so on,
although he does this only in out-of-theway ports he doesn't expect to return to
for a long time.
Caetros, Harmon
Human Minrothad Guilds Port Agent,
Specularum (St 9, In 14, Ws 15, Dx 11,
Co 9, Ch 12; AC 9, M3, HP 12, Move
120' (40'), /AT 1, D by weapon, Save
M3, MlO, AL L. Has a. wand of polymorphing. Abilities: Appraisal (In+2),
Bargaining (In+2), 4 broker points).
Harmon is a pompous, portly man
with neatly trimmed beard and gray hair.
Affable and easy going, this merchant
drives a hard bargain and is justifiably
proud of his trading expertise. As senior
port agent, Harmon has represented
Minrorhad in the port of Specularum for
over 20 years, and is nearing retirement
age.
Harmon knows a lot about politics and
trade on the continent and in the Grand
Duchy of Karameikos. He might be
encountered in town, or on the trail in
the company of a Minrothad Guilds caravan. Caetros sometimes hires adventurers
to assist with overland trade concerns. He
is also on the lookout for likely persons to
refer for hire as agents of the ruling guild
master in Minrothad.
Corset, Ormun
Human cleric of Minroth, Harbortown: (C15; St 10, In 10, Ws 15, Dx 9,
Co 13, Ch 15; AC 9, HP 52, Move 120'
(90'), /AT l,Dby weapon; AL L. Has a
staff of striking).
Ormun is a hardworking cleric and a
fanatical follower of Minroth. His suspicious nature drives him to question the
motives of people around him. He is
vocal about his doubts and has alienated
many potential friends.
Ormun is on a quest to find the last
earthly abode of Minroth. He plans an
expedition to the top of Immortal's

Home, the volcanic peak to the south of

Trader's Isle where Minroth was last seen.
There he hopes to find signs of the
departed immortal, something that will
rally people to the church of Minroth. If
successful, the cleric will gain secular
influence which he will use to further the
interests of the Minrothian church and
Guild Corser. PCs might be recruited by
Ormun to aid in his expedition of discovery, or may encounter him in the wilderness of Trader's Isle.
Demerick, Ariana
Human Privateer, Second Mate of the
Radiant (F7; St 12, In 13, Ws 11, Dx 13,
Co 11, Ch 14; AC 9, HP 41, Move 120'
(90'), /ATI, D by weapon, MlO, AL N;

Has a sword +1. Abilities: Long-Sight

(In), Rigging Combat (Dx), Ship Sailing
(In), Boat Sailing (In), Artillery (In +3)).
Ariana is a one-eyed female pirate, a
friendly, garrulous character to be
encountered in mainland ports and taverns. On shipboard she is a stern taskmaster who takes her responsibilities
seriously. Ashore she spins tall tales and is
always on the lookout for likely additions
to the crew.
Ariana does not have hiring authority,
but introduces recruits to Captain Erundal Kelar, master of the Radiant. Kelar
welcomes persons with specialized skills,
especially magic-users, who are hard to
come by in Minrothad. If someone seems
useful but is reluctant to sign on, Ariana

of tl7e MiNROt?7afc Quilfcs

leads the crew which ambushes and kidnaps the tempting prospect.
Elsan, Saroso
Water elf merchant-prince, Captain of
the Egret (ElO; St 11, In 16, Ws 12, Dx
14, Co 9, Ch 13; AC 6, Attack Rank E,
HP 71, Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D by
weapon, Mil, AL N; Has a ring of protection + 3, sword +1, and a pouch of
winds; casts spells as a 15th level
merchant-prince; Abilities: Ship Sailing
(In+2), Boat Sailing (In + 1), Rigging
(In+2), Bargaining (In+2), % broker
points).
Captain Saroso Elsan is one of the most
succesful of Minrothad 's merchantprinces. At heart he is a sensitive elf who
exercises his mischievous sense of humor
on his friends. There is talk of him eventually becoming guild master of the Merchant Sailor's Guild.
Saroso's ship, the Egret, is a Harbortown trader equipped with three artillery
pieces and three masts, crewed by 40 sailors and 20 marines. Speculative trade is
this merchant-prince's forte, and the
Egret might be encountered in any port
in the Known World. When at home in
his Seahome island mansion, Saroso has a
burning interest in Minrothad politics.
He firmly supports the ruling guild master and allows government agents to travel on the Egret if they need to go
someplace along its route of travel.
In the next few years, Capt. Elsan is
considering a voyage of exploration to the
south and west, and he is looking for
adventurers to accompany him.
Fairhair, Jesamin
HalGing Lottery Shopkeeper in Malfton(H3;St8,Inl4, Ws9,Dxll, Co 13,
Ch 12; AC9, Move90'(50'), /ATI, D by
weapon, M8, AL C; Abilities: Bargaining
(In), Appraisal (In)).
Jesamin is a young halfling with a
freckled complexion and curly blond
locks. She is well-spoken and cheerful
with customers, but moody and lazy
when left to herself. Her small Lottery
Shop sells nothing but tobacco and lottery tickets and produces only a modest
income, but hidden in a hillside burrow
behind her store is a small gambling hall

where illegal games of chance are played.

Jesamin is the contact point for smugglers
bringing goods into Malfton and her Lottery Shop is also a source for magical
items sold without the knowledge or control of the Tutorial Guild. It is one of the
very few in operation, since the ruling
guild master's agents manage to close
down most unauthorized sales. PCs who
do illegal business here risk harsh penalties from the law if caught.
Forster, Ulard
Wood elf, Guild Verdier Guild Master
(E12;St9Jnl4, Wsll,Dxl3, Co9, Ch
14; AC 7, HP 61, Move 120' (40'), /AT 1,
D by weapon, M9, AL N; Has ring of protection + 2 and a. scroll of spell catching;
Abilities: Woodworking (In+3), 2 broker points).
Ulard is an old wood elf. Ulard resents
the power that Oran Meditor has stripped
from him and the rest of the guild leaders. Forster is one of the leaders of the
malcontents in Minrothad and the originator of the plot to assassinate Meditor.
Ulard lives in the guild master's estate
in Verdon. Convinced Meditor will move
openly against him, he has had extensive
traps and magical protections added to
the guild master's estate, and almost
ruined the clan treasury by doing so. Verdier elves are becoming unhappy with
these and other eccentricities of their
guild master but do not yet want him out
of office. Ulard has no suitable heir to
succeed him, and the question of who
will follow him as guild master is a topic
of hot debate in Verdon.
Forster suspects that the Carven Oak is
capable of granting wishes and wants to
use that power to wish the council of
guild leaders back in control of Minrothad. He is scheming for a way to confirm
whether that power exists and, if so, how
to use it without the keeper's cooperation. Rewen Verdier, keeper of the Carven Oak, refuses to help Ulard.
Ironfist, Zeno
Dwarf apprentice smith, Guild Hammer (D2; St 18, In 11, Ws 7, Dx 10, Co
14, Ch 13;AC9, HP 16, Move90'(30'),
/ATI, D by weapon, Mil, AL N).
Zeno is a daring and able young dwarf,

57

but his argumentative nature and defiance of orders gets him in trouble with his
superiors. He is presently working on the
Stronghold docks instead of at the forges
in punishment for his latest escapade:
stowing away on the Egret on a short trip
to Karameikos.
Zeno is completely familiar with Fortress Island, having spent hours wandering and exploring where he was expressly
forbidden to go. In the same way he
knows a lot about secret guild affairs from
eavesdropping on conversations that were
none of his business. PCs visiting Stronghold encounter him at dockside. Zeno
can offer pointers, tips, and secret information about dwarvish affairs. He does
not intend to tell about these things, but
he is indiscreet and his mouth runs away
with him once he gets started.
Kasan, Linias
Former water elf family guild mastcr(E6; St9, In 14, Ws 12, Dx 15, Co 11,
Ch 16; AC 9, HP 33, Move 120' (40'),
/AT 1, D by weapon, MlO, AL C; Has
shell armor +1 (when worn, treat as plate
maJl with the encumbrance of leather);
Abilities: Boat Sailing (In+3), Piloting
(In+2), 1 broker point).
Linias is an ambitious, embittered,
and hateful elf of early middle years.
Oran Meditor deposed him as head of the
water elf family guild after Linias's
involvement in an assassination plot was
proven. Since then the Kasan family has
lived in disgrace, their authority usurped
by the Elsan family. Linias has dedicated
hiimself to the removal of Oran Meditor
and the restoration of his kin to power
among the water elf clans.
Linias lives in the northernmost keep
on the Seahome coastal islands. He has
gone into seclusion there since his removal from poweror so it appears. Linias
has consolidated a network of spies paid
out of his family's private purse and built
up mainland contacts with a specific purpose in mind.
Oran Meditor is hiring foreigners to
work as government agents and infiltrate
family guilds in search of treachery. To
counter this threat, Linias and his kin
search out likely mainlanders, buy their

of tl?e MiNROtljab QuilOs

loyalty, then try to get these double
agents hired by the ruling guild master.
In this way they put spies close to Meditor
and neutralize the ruling guild master's
threat to Kasan plots.
PCs may be sought out and recruited
by Linias as agents if they are at Companion level of higher. The pay is extremely
generous. Linias paints Oran Meditor as a
blackhearted despot. If PCs turn against
him, Linias attempts to have them put to
death before they can betray him.

The water elf family which rules the

Minrothad Guilds is the guiding light of
progressive Minrothaddans, and the
thorn in the side of the conservative guild
factions. Four Meditors are especially
notable in Minrothad.
Oran Meditor
Ruling Guild Master (E5;St 11, In 15,
Ws 17, Dx 13, Co 10, Ch 14; AC 5, HP
36, Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D by weapon, Mil, AL N; Has a. ring of protection
+ 4, silver dagger +2, and elven boots;
Abilities: Navigation (In +2), Swimming
(St+1), Bargaining (In +3)).
Oran Meditor is a forceful personality
who has taken firm control of Minrothad
government. His insightful mind has
enabled him to attack the problems of his
country with a capability far beyond his
youthful years. This authoritarian exercise of power has taken guild masters by
surprise, inspiring either applause or
hatred among the power elite.
Oran realizes that he treads a fine line
between successful reform and civil war.
Guild unrest and repeated assassination
attempts have brought this home to him.
The ruling guild master is resolved to discredit and neutralize his opposition.
To this end, Meditor is recruiting
agents from foreign countries to serve
him within Minrothad. Such agents can
enter Minrothad intrigue by posing as
guildsmen born overseas. They will have
no ties to the guilds and, it is hoped, will
not sympathize with the opposition.
Oran's priorities are for these agents to
stop the next, inevitable, attempt on his
life, and to get proof of the treasonous

plots of the Corser, Kasan, and Verdier

guild masters so that they can be permanently neutralized.
Astra Meditor
First consort (E2; In 14, Ws 12, Dx 14,
Co 9, Ch 13; AC 9, HP 7, Move 120'
(40'), /ATO, M8, ALN; Wears a scarab of
protection).
Astra is a Verdier wood elf whose marriage to Oran was arranged to bring additional influence to the Verdier clan.
Instead, Astra has fallen in love with her
husband and turned her back on plots
intended to manipulate her marriage.
Astra is diplomatic and soft-spoken, a
gracious hostess admirably suited for her
role as first consort. Terribly concerned
over Oran's welfare, she has decided to
secretly hire bodyguards for additional
protection. Player characters of medium
to high levels may meet the first consort
in this capacity.
Ginol Meditor
First advisor (E7; St 9, In 11, Ws 14,
Dx 12, Co 13, Ch 14; AC9, HP 46, Move
120' (40'), /ATI, D by weapon, M9, AL
N; Has displace cloak; Abilities: Ship
Sailing (In +1), 2 broker points).
Ginol is Oran's uncle, a quiet, taciturn
elf who considers long before voicing his
opinion. His years of experience enable
him to see through guild machinations
and deduce what intrigues are afoot. This
water elf is an excellent follower and advisor, but makes an uninspired regent. He
hopes that Oran will father an heir soon.
He dreads the possibility of being saddled with the rulership if his nephew dies
without an heir.
Brendel Meditor
Keeper of the Pearl (E7; St9, In 17, Ws
13, Dx 10, Co 6, Ch 14; AC 9, HP 44,
Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D by weapon,
M9, AL N).
Brendel is keeper of the water elf clan
relic. Other clans have attempted to persuade him to misuse his power as keeper
and sway political events, but he refuses
to do this. Although he does not openly
support Oran, neither does he hinder
him. Brendel is truly concerned about
what is best for the water elves in the long
58

f<J-C-tKHHi^Hi-gaa{HHHKH^^

run, and is willing to wait and see what

happens.
Verdier, Rewen
Wood elf, keeper of the Carven Oak
(E6; St 13, In 13, Ws 14, Dx 16, Co 11,
Ch 12; AC 8, HP 39, Move 120' (40'),
/AT 1, D by weapon, M10, AL C; Has a
sword +2, +3 vs humans; Abilities:
Climbing (Dx), Leatherworking (In +2)).
Rewen is a coldly calculating and selfserving elf, interested solely in his own
quest for power. He is in the frustrating
position of having the use of an extremely
powerful relic, but dreading to use it
because of its penalties and handicaps.
Rewen is not sympathetic to Ulard Forster's political intrigues and will be happy
to see him gone from authoritywhether
from old age or because of his treasons, it
is all the same to Rewen.
Because of the wish ability of the Carven Oak, the keeper is confident that he
can shape Minrothad as he would like to
see it. He believes he can do this by duping an adventurer into using a branchlet
to utter a specific wish, without informing that hero of the great risk of death
when that effect is invoked. With this
method, Rewen could make himself the
most powerful person in the Minrothad
Guilds, a temptation the wood elf is
gradually giving in to.
Vlaardoen, Murl of
Human Glantri Earth Elementalist
(M26; St 13, In 15, Ws 13, Dx 14, Co 8,
Ch 8; AC9, Move 120'(40'), /ATI, D by
weapon, M9, AL C; Has a ring of invisibility and a flying carpet).
Murl of Vlaardoen is in his late 30s and
is related to the Vlaardoen family of
Glantri. He is a master of earth elementals. Murl has been hired for a large sum
by Hildric Vendor, guild master of Guild
Corser, to kill Oran Meditor. This amoral
and greedy wizard was seen in the palace
gardens during the last attempt on
Oran's life, but not identified. He
remains at large, looking for a way to get
close to the ruling guild master and circumvent the magical protections he
believes Meditor must now have.

ADVGNtURCS
Most of the following adventures can
be staged in any Minrothad town or city,
although a suggested locale for play is
usually given. Some of these scenarios
may be started on the continent, and
offer ways to get characters to travel to the
Minrothad Guilds.

Basic
iMMOKtal'& HOMG

Ormun Corser (see Personalities) is

ready to begin his journey of exploration
to the top of Immortal's Home, the inactive volcano of southern Trader's Isle.
Player characters are hired to accompany
the expedition as guards, or perhaps as
guides if they are native Minrothaddans.
Minrothad wilderness is not known for
its dangers, but persons ascending
Immortal's Home encounter hazards
placed there by Mmroth the Immortal to
discourage exploration of the mountain.
Five encounters of increasing dtfficulty
are suggested, with the most dangerous
one at the edge of the fog on the mountain peak. A typical selection of monsters
might begin with one to six spitting
cobras, then go on with one to three black
widow spiders, one to four wereboars,
one to three horned chameleon lizards,
and end with a green dragon.
Corser is a coward at heart. In spite of his
relatively high level, he hangs back in every
confrontation, prefering to let his "arrow
fodder" take the brunt of the exchange.
This, of course, is the PCs, and any additional low-level characters the DM might
like to include in the expedition.
The peak of Immortal's Home is
obscured with thick fog that limits sight
tolO'. This was created by immortals and
no earthly magic can dispel it. In the center of the cloud is a formless glow, as of
sunlight through mist. This marks the
location of a planar gate to the Sphere of
Matter, the home plane of Mmroth the
Immortal.
Aside from this gate, Ormun Corset's
quest produces no evidence that Minroth
was ever here. The cleric does not explore
beyond the gate because he feels his party
is too low in level. Instead, he makes

plans to return at a future time and see

what lies beyond the gate. If PCs like,
they may explore on their own, but
should wait until reaching higher levels
to do so.

Puiisen PuKsuit
Elgin Weafer, a Verdier elf, has been
caught making a new style of cloth-andleather purses and satchels with contraband leather from Guild Quickhand.
This is not his first offense; irate halflings
took things into their own hands and
smashed his shop last night, and now
they are looking for the illegal leatheruser so they can smash him too. Personalities are behind the conflict as much as
abused guild regulations, and the wood
elf wants to get out of town until tempers
cool down. He approaches Jesamin
Fairhair (see Personalities) to ask if she
can smuggle him out of town. A great
hue and cry is on for him, with halflings
actively searching Malfton and the sea
port for Weafer.
On such short notice Jesamin's regular
smuggling connections are not at hand.
She turns to the PCs for help, making a
plea that Elgin Weafer is in fear for his
life. No matter what alternatives the PCs
propose, she makes it sound like this is
truly the only solution possible, since she
badly wants the fat fee Elgin is paying for
this emergency assistance.
If needed to entice them, Jesamin
offers the characters a potion or other useful magical item, bought and paid for as
part of Elgin's smuggling fee. If PCs
accept, they are in possession of contraband. In addition, when Weafer is smuggled out, he is taking a supply of stolen
halfling leather with him, so he can set up
shop at his cousin's place in the city of
Minrothad.
Once Elgin vanishes, halflings are certain he is sneaking out of town and
increase their security precautions. If PCs
agree to help, they should be left to
devise their own plan how to get Weafer
out of Malfton and across the water. If
they ate caught, the book is thrown at
them for aiding and abetting a smuggler
and a thief.

iNtjabitaNts
Thirty nixies have suddenly taken up
residence in the enclosed harbor within
the city of Minrothad. Although they
pose no threat to the city, they are already
wreaking havoc among ship's crews. They
have charmed several sailors into the
water, including some who went in to kill
the nixies. The PCs are asked to help deal
with this menace.
If the characters talk with the nixies,
they learn that the water sprites are here
because their home upriver was destroyed
by a landslide. Fleeing the rubble and
murky water, their first impulse was to
escape downstream. The nixies soon wandered into Minrothad's river harbor in
search of a suitable place to live, where
they are overjoyed at the prospect of so
many men they can charm into service.
This is a pleasant diversion, but sooner or
later they want to continue on and find a
nice part of the Lithwillow River to dwell
in.
The sprites see no reason why they
should leave the harbor immediately.
They can be tempted into this only by fast
talking on the PCs' part and generous
offers of help in locating a new home.
The best location is someplace upriver
beyond the region destroyed by the landslide and away from Minrothad river
shipping.
If they leave the harbor, the nixies want
to take along the sailors charmed into
their service. They may petulantly agree
to leave them behind , but only if they are
bribed with services or treasure that are as
appealing as the sailors were.
If the nixies are dealt with through
negotiation, this scenario is ideal for
Basic-level play. If characters want to
fight the nixies to expel them from the
harbor, this adventure should be considered an Expert-level scenario instead.

AOveNtURGS

As PCs walk down a busy shopping

street, a teenage girl races out of an alley
and barrels right into one of the characters. A gang of youths appears right
behind her, in hot pursuit. The girl tries
to run on; if PCs let her go, the youths
chase her away into the crowd. If the characters protect her, her pursuers are verbally abusive but soon disappear, not willing
to risk a fight with the PCs.
The girl is Eliza, a Tutorial Guild
apprentice. She was carrying an official
message to be delivered to Arven, a local
Guild Corser spice dealer. The youths
chasing her are apprentices from Guild
Elsan interested in the contents of the
"valuable message" they have been
tipped off to. Realizing she was about to
be caught, she ran into the PC intentionally and slipped the sealed paper inside
his or her tunic or pouch. The message
states, "We know about your unauthorized purchases. Stop before it becomes an
official matter." This is a veiled warning
to Arven to stop buying magical items on
the sly from foreigners. The girl is ignorant of its true meaning.
Eliza recovers the paper and goes her
way as soon as possible. If the PCs protect
her, they are dogged by the Elsan youths
fot several days as the apprentices try to
figure out what business the PCs have
with Eliza. If the toughs catch Eliza and
find she does not have the paper, they
quickly discover what she has done with
it. The characters then become the target
of ambushes in alleys as Elsan apprentices
and journeymen try to steal the paper.
If the paper is taken from the characters and its seal is found broken, guildsmen think that the PCs have read the
message. In that case they are in much
greater trouble. The Tutorial Guild
assumes they are spies of some kind and
does its best to make them leave the city:
they are followed constantly, the party
magic-user is denied permission to cast
spells, Tutorial Guild shops will do no
business with them, and so on.

The greatest threat, however, is the

spice dealer. Arven leaps to conclusions
about what the PCs might say. Desperate
to protect his good name, he hires moonlighting Thieves Guild members to kill
the characters. These murder attempts
are done as quickly and discreetly as possible, before the PCs can talk to anyone
about the message.

Out for an evenings' entertainment in

the city of Minrothad, the characters hear
sounds of a scuffle down a side street.
Turning the corner they see a man completing a transformation from some kind
of were-creature into human form. For a
stunned moment the man stares directly
at them and everyone has a clear look at
each other. Then his eyes widen in fright
and he vanishes, leaving a dead and
mutilated body in the street.
This man is Louin, a wererat with ties
to Marden Bailey's band. He was surprised by the characters in the act of killing a victim and pilfering the corpse.
Louin vanishes with the aid of a ring of
invisibility. This man is no ordinary wererat: in human form, he is the craft master
of the city's Brewer Guild. As a public
figure his face is well known and he is certain that the characters recognized him.
Turning invisible, he flees for a short
distance down the street, but lingers and
follows the characters until he finds out
where they are staying. Louin returns at
night within the next 24 hours accompanied by 2d4 wererats from Marden Bailey's group. Louin has convinced his
fellows that they can curry favor with Bailey by infecting the PCs with lycanthropy
and bringing them into Marden's band.
Louin makes the best use of his ring or
the prestige of his human form to gain
access to the PCs. If wererats alone are not
enough of a challenge for the party, the
creatures might be accompanied by one
or two devil swine as well (see Bailey
under Personalities). If PCs capture and
question any of the werecreatures, they
learn about Bailey's group and may take
any further action as they see fit.

60

Calavar, a local magic-user, strongly

resembles the party's magic-user or a
spellcasting elf. Calavar strikes up a
friendly acquaintance with the PC, perhaps on the basis of business that's been
done between them. Failing this, the
mage approaches the party with a vague
business proposition of some sort.
Calavar invites the party spellcaster to his
home for dinner, to be followed by a discussion of business. If this invitation is
declined, he invites the party, charming
the PC leader to ensute acceptance.
During dinner, Calavar glances at a
waterclock, then excuses himself for a
moment. His absence stretches into long
minutes, when suddenly the house door
bursts open. Government agents rush
inside and arrest the party's magic user,
mistaking him for Calavar. Protests of
mistaken identity are ignored.
This is an elaborate set-up planned by
Calavar and Ellin Kasan of the Tutorial
Guild. Ellin is involved in Kasan
intrigues. She has (quite illegally) hired
Galavar to charm selected guild masters
into helping Kasan plots. Recently some
charm spells wore off, and the victims
made complaint to the authorities. With
warrants filed against Calavar, Ellin
tipped him about his imminent arrest.
The scapegoat PC will be brought to trial,
where Ellin is the legal examiner. She will
lie about the results of her truth spell and
say the PC's piotestations of innocence
are false.
The best way to help a PC out of this
dilemma is to locate Calavar, now hiding
somewhere in the city, or to find enough
evidence to cast doubt on Ellin Kasan's
veracity as a legal examiner and truthspell inteipreter.
The hunt for Calavar can take PCs
through waterfront taverns, to the Tutorial Guild where doors are shut in their
faces, and to the seediest dwellings in the
worst pan of town. Hostile encounters are
had with drunks and guildsmen who
don't like snooping outsiders. Calavar's
location can be betrayed by a street
urchin, but Calavar fights to the bitter
end before he is taken or arrested.

AOVGNtURGS
COMpaNlON
too Hot to
Stubborn dwarves of Stronghold have
a problem they're too proud to talk about
and get help with. Fire elementals have
emerged from the lava in the experimental molten manufacturing area deep
inside Fortress Island. The elementals can
do little hatm in those passageways of volcanic stone , but they are now wandering
about the other Stronghold work areas.
Soon they will set fife to the residences
and make the island uninhabitable. So
far the dwarves have not been able to stop
them.
Fortunately, loose-lipped Zeno Ironfist
(see Personalities) is on hand to blab
about these problems when PCs make
port at Stronghold. If the characters fail
to see the opportunity to offer their services, Zeno boldly suggests this to them.
He himself will introduce characters to
guild master Thor Stronghold.
Thor is upset that outsiders have
learned of this problem, especially since
Zeno has also mentioned the secret lava
manufacturing process. But the guild
master figures he should make the best of
a bad bargain. Since characters have
learned too much, he asks them to stop
the fire elementals. If they succeed, that is
more than the dwarves have done; if they
die, at least they won't be able to talk
about the secret manufacturing process.
The first monster encounter takes place
with one elemental in the residential area
amid smoldering furnishings. The elemental retreats before it is slain. The second encounter is in the forge workshop
area with one or two elementals, who are
also driven further underground. The
final encounter should be in the lava vent
area with enough elementals to make this
a tough fight.
Successful PCs are rewarded with
exceptional dwarf-made weapons as a
bonus. Also, Zeno asks if he can join the
PC party. He is suddenly very unwelcome
in Stronghold because he talked about
the lava manufacturing. If he doesn't go
with the PCs, he will be sent away in disgrace for one year anyway.

Welcome Aj&oanO
The Radiant, a Privateer Guild ship, is
in port any place on the continent. Second Mate Ariana Demerick {see Personalities) is doing her usual tour of taverns
and entertainment establishes along with
several privateer companions. Along the
way, Demerick and friends meet the PCs.
This is a friendly encounter: the pirates
buy drinks, do some gambling, and swap
tall tales. They say their ship is a merchant vessel of lerendi design with a ctew
of many nationalities. If the topic comes
up, they do not claim to be Minrothaddan, although the accent is clear in many
of their voices.
Atiana draws the characters out about
what they do. As soon as it becomes obvious that one or more of the PCs is a
magic-user, cleric, or thief, she takes that
person aside and asks if he or she would
Hke to join the crew of her ship as an officer. They are short-handed and in need of
someone with this PC's special abilities.
If there is no character with these class
skills in the party, Ariana makes the offer
to the burliest fighter of the group without mention of ofticership.
If one or more characters accept this
offer, they are introduced to Captain
Erundal Kelar on board the Radiant
shortly before the vessel sails. These
obliging characters are put to sleep with
spells by the captain or with a potion in
their refreshments (save vs Poison at 4);
they awake when out to sea.
On the other hand, if no PC is interested in the offer, Ariana and her friends
leave, only to return later and shanghai
their object of interest late in the night.
Ariana lures the character outside, or
waits until the PC of interest is out of
sight of the party. In this encounter, the
DM should allow the pirates to have the
numbers, spells, and whatever else it
takes to overcome the PC after a fair but
short fight. The point of this adventure is
for the party to rescue their kidnapped
companion, not just kick pirates around
in an alleyway.
The kidnapped character awakes on
the Radiant after it is far out to sea and
out of sight of land. The ship is indeed
61

J^WtHKHM&P4HHHMHHHHHl&aHaOQiHHH^^

short-handed and plans, for the Minrothad bounty, to attack Thyatian pirates
lurking around North Island. One to four
other common sailors have also been
pressed into service for this voyage. The
PC can fight alongside his captors or be
killed by the Thyatians. The Minrothad
Privateers Guild is never mentioned
unless Captain Kelar is sincerely convinced the PC wants to join his crew. In
that case, the Radiant returns to Cove
Harbor when done with its voyage. Otherwise, the captive PC is put ashore at
Gapton on North Island after one to
three months searching for and fighting
both pirates and merchant shipping.
The PCs left behind can easily discover
what happened to their missing friend(s):
the abduction took place without great
subtlety and the vessel sailed immediately afterward. Further questions reveal
that the Radiant is rumored to be a pirate
ship. It is known that she is en route to
North Isle in Minrothad Guilds waters.
If the characters can get a ship to follow
within 24 hours there is a good chance of
catching up to the Radiant. Since the
pirates sail directly for North Island and
patrol there for an extended period of
time, there is a 10 percent chance per day
of searching that PCs cross paths with the
Radiant. This is reduced by 1 percent for
every day of delay in getting a pursuit vessel. Even if PCs have never seen the pirate
ship, their captain will recognize it.
If characters have willingly joined the
pirates, the highlight of this encounter
should be a sea battle with Thyatian
pirates. If instead the PCs have come to
rescue their companion, they may use any
tactics they like to do so. A common pursuit vessel is reluctant to engage the
pirates in battle unless it is owned by the
PCs or offered a reward worth the risk of
losing the ship and being killed. If captured, the pirates will under no circumstance lead the PCs to Cove Harbor.
Captain Erundal Kelar (water elf E8; St
14, In 13, Ws 10, Dx 17, Cn 9, Ch 14; AC
7, HP 42, Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D by
weapon, MlO, AL C; Has a sword +1,
+ 3 vs sea creatures, potion of speed, and
shell armor (treat as plate mail with the

AOveNtimes
encumbrance of leather); Abilities: Ship
Sailing (In+2), Navigation (In+3),
Artillery (In +1), Appraisal (In), 1 broker
point).
The Radiant, small sailing ship: AC 7,
HP 90, Movement 90 miles/day, 150
feet/round. Crew 40 (all combatants);
Mounts one catapult and two ballistae;
Artillery Skill 16.

Characters are hired as government

agents of the ruling guild master. They
might be recruited on the continent for
this or accepted once in Minrothad. An
additional plot twist may happen if PCs
have been first contacted by Linias Kasan,
who is hiring double agents (see Personalities). If such is the case, the DM may
alter the following events as desired.
In this scenario, PCs are assigned to
infiltrate Guild Corser and get proof of
treason committed by guild master
Hildric Vendor. Such proof will probably
not be obtained- The real adventure takes
place when PCs run afoul of Murl of
Vlaardoen, a Glantrian wizard who will
make the next attempt on Oran Meditor's
life.
Characters pose as children of Minrothad guildsmen born on the continent,
disguised with magically-applied Guild
Corser tatoos showing ranks of journeyman or better. They arrive at Corser
Guildhall in the city of Minrothad with
letters of referral from a master magic
dealer on the mainland. That person is a
supporter of Oran Meditor, happy to provide the false endorsements for the
agents. PCs are put to work in the guild
hall learning the Guild Corser trade
administration.
Journeyman newcomers to Corser
guild hall do not quickly get into the confidence of a treasonous guild master.
Intelligent spying lets the characters discover the following clues, which lead
them to thwart the latest assassination
plot against Oran Meditor.
PCs notice there is a senior journeyman
alchemist of this family guild who

meets with the guild master frequently

in back rooms. The fellow has a Glantrian accent and goes by the name of
Murl.
Explaining his accent, the alchemist
once said that he has done extensive
trading in Glantri. Another time he
explained that he grew up there.
A character observes the alchemist
apparently casting a spell when he
thinks he is unobserved. PCs know
that only members of the Tutorial
Guild may learn magic and cast spells
in Minrothad.
In a local tavern, PCs hear the tale of
the last attempt on Oran Meditor's life
directly from Kabel Grassroots, who
witnessed it. His description of the
wizard matches that of Murl the alchemist.
If a successful effort is made to eavesdrop on conversations, PCs hear Murl
and Hildric Vendor talking about Oran
Meditor's next public appearance and
how good or bad the layout of the area
is.
If Murl is tailed, he is seen talking with
accomplices who in turn are seen keeping Meditor Hall under observation.
These accomplices also follow Meditor
and his retinue any time the ruling
guild master goes out in public.
Interrogation of Murl's accomplices
reveals they are Glantrians, some disguised as guildsmen, some not. Most
say they were hired to watch the ruling
guild master. There is a 10 percent
chance of an accomplice confirming
that Murl is out to assassinate Oran
Meditor after a failed first attempt.
Red herring clues can be thrown in to
sidetrack characters, such as meaningless
but suspicious papers passing between
Murl and Vendor, or Vendor openly dealing with a member of the Thieves Guild.
Snooping around the busy guild hall is
difficult and can arouse the suspicion of
the guild master. If the guild master's
office is searched, nothing incriminating
is found. There is a 75 percent chance of
triggering a magical trap that alerts guild

guards and Hildric Vendor to the presence of intruders.

If Hildric develops doubts about the
characters, the NPC checks against a Wisdom score of 12. Success means he thinks
the characters are spies. In that case, Murl
and accomplices join in a surprise attack
to kill them.
Accomplices are an assortment of character classes of levels comparable to the
PCs'. It should be difficult to waylay
individuals and get them to talk. Most of
the clues about Murl are circumstantial.
If the characters wait for the wizard to
make an attempt on Meditor they will
likely be too late to stop him: the wizard
magically disappears from sight until he
is close enough to attack Oran, then does
his spellcasting quickly from concealment.
The pacing of this investigation should
be timed so that most clues are discovered
shortly before Meditor's next public
appearance, where the wizard makes
another attempt on his life. If Murl succeeds, the ruling guild master should be
injured but not killed. The best way to
prevent this attempt is to confront Murl
beforehand and force him to betray himself by spellcasting.
If Murl is attacked and taken by surprise, he reflexively defends himself with
magic. Once he realizes that he has
betrayed himself, he attacks the PCs to
kill, employing all his most powerful
magic to do so. If characters are a match
for Murl alone, he may be aided by one or
more Glantri accomplices of any class.
Murl's magic concentrates on the summoning of earth elementals and the
manipulation of earth (wall of stone,
flesh to stone, etc). If it is available, use
the earth elementalist magic described in
GAZ 3 to determine the wizard's spells.
In other regards the wizard is described in
detail under Personalities.
The wizard fights to the death. If he
escapes, he returns to kill Meditor later,
in a different disguise. If Murl is captured
alive, he can be forced to admit that he
was hired by Hildric Vendor. Short of this
confession, there is no proof of Guild
Corset's treason. Hildric will claim, truthfully, that Murl came to him referred by a

AOVCNtURGS
continental Minrothad guildsmanin
the same way the player characters did. In
fact, Murl was referred as an assassin, but
Hildric neglects to mention this and
truth-magic will not reveal his omission.
After the confrontation with Guild
Corser and the wizard, the PCs' faces are
too well known to continue as incognito
agents in the city of Minrothad, although
they might be assigned elsewhere.

Masten
Ulard Forster, head of Guild Verdier,
approaches the PCs with a sensitive mission. He explains that he and Rewen Verdier, keeper of the clan artifact, have had
a falling out. Rewen refuses to let the
guild master use the artifact in a matter of
vital importance to the Verdier elves.
Although Ulard refuses to divulge what
this matter is, he solemnly vows that it
affects the welfare of the entire Minrothad Guilds. ESP or similar spells reveal
that this is true, or at least that Ulard
believes it is. Because of this reason,
Ulard asks the PCs to go to the Carven
Oak and bring him back one or more of
its branchlets.
The "vital matter" Ulard refers to is
Oran
Meditor's
supposed
mismanagement of government and the
reforms he has instituted in the Minrothad Guilds. Ulard wants a return to the
old way of things. He is so certain that the
Carven Oak can provide him with a wish
to accomplish this that he offers anything
within his power if the PCs will do as he
asks. Ulard's influence is like that of a
prince in a different country: he can
bestow domains, ships, wealth, magic,
guild tank, or any other reasonable
reward.
The PCs are the only ones Ulard can
approach with this request. Wood elves
would be outraged and demand his resignation from office, while most Minrothaddans are outmatched by the defenses
of the keeper's Village and the Carven
oak grove. As final justification, Ulard
insists that Rewen has grown powerhungry and unbalanced, and is no longer

.tiWtHHJ^H-fl-fl-MSJ-Q^HHHHHHK^

fit to be keeper. Characters interacting

with or using spells on the keeper can see
that this is mostly true. If they remain
reluctant to do this, Ulard has a magicuser bespell one or more of them with a
geas.
keepers do not allow characters past the
village. If PCs fight the keepers, there
should be enough resistance for this to be
a challenging fight. PCs who kill keepers
and are caught are charged with heinous
crimes, and Ulard can do nothing to protect them.
If the characters sneak into the grove
instead, they must make their way past
giant lizards, dryads, treants. Within
200' of the Carven Oak keeper's assistants
are encountered. Whether or not adventurers come away with branchlets, any PC
who touches the Carven Oak is immediately communicated with by Oleyan, the
Immortal trapped within. In a flash Oleyan explains his plight (see Secrets of the
Elves), begs the PCs to destroy the artifact
and release him, and promises an Immortal's reward for their help.
If Ulard gets the branchlets, his first,
experimental, wish is that he is young
again. If the invocation of this power kills
him, that is the end of his plotting. If the
wish suceeds, the sloppy wording results
in his transformation into a baby elf who
cannot walk or talk yet. The DM must
decide what happens about the leadership of Guild Verdier afterwards.
The challenge before the PCs at this
point should be the question of whether
or not to free the Immortal. Oleyan can
be of any Sphere of power which might
induce the PCs to help him. If they
decide to help, they must undertake a
quest to learn the method in which the
artifact can be destroyed.
It is suggested that PCs do three things
to accomplish this quest. The first is that
they petition an Immortal whom they
follow and ask how to destroy the Carven
Oak. Use the method detailed on pg 14
of the Master rules. Second, characters
must somehow travel to the Sphere of
Time where the Carven Oak was made.
Once there, they must locate one of the
lesser Immortals who helped gather
materials for the Carven Oak, and find

out from that power how to destroy it.

The Immortal who imbued the artifact
with power kicks the PCs out of this
Sphere if she discovers what they are up
to.
Once the method of destruction is
known, it is up to the PCs to implement
it and destroy the Carven Oak. One suggested way is to uproot the artifact and
take it to the Plane of Fire where it must
be immersed in the lava of an elemental
volcano. Any other method of the DM's
choice can be used instead.
Oleyan 's reward for this service is
appropriate to an Immortal's gratitude.
Also, the PCs may attract the wrath of the
Immortal who imprisoned him in the
first place.

Quest fon tfye

of Lif e

The Carven Oak has been destroyed,

either by the PCs or by some other party
or Immortal event. The adventurers are
approached by the wood elves and asked
to help their keeper quest for a new relic
for their clan. They want to have a proper
relic this time, and will not be satisfied
with another artifact.
This quest can take PCs to the planes
and spheres of power, and to the farthest
corners of the earth. This situation is perfect for a quest for one of the lost Trees of
Life (see GAZ4). The Tree would be a
proper clan relic that satisfies the Verdier
elves. It might be possible instead to
acquire a cutting from one of the existing
trees. The quest then revolves around
doing something for foreign elves that is
worthy of such a reward.

AOaptiNq Qazetteens to ADD CaMpazqNS

Many of you may be avid players of the
ADVANCED
DUNGEONS
&
DRAGONS game. For your convenenience, we included this section to help
you use this gazetteer in your AD&D
game campaign.
The differences between the D&D
and the AD&D games are small enough
that the adaptation should not be much
of a problem. However, for those of you
who are not familiar at all with the D&D
game, there are a few details that need to
be clarified. For ease of reference, topics
appear in alphabetical order.
When adapting adventures, keep in
mind that AD&D characters are slightly
tougher at low level, but D&D characters
can deliver much more damage at mid to
high level.
The D&D game is designed to handle
very high levels of play, up to a maximum
of level 36. It is suggested that you keep
the same levels of experience in the two
games up to level 20. Beyond, assume
that each two D&D game levels equal one
character level in the AD&D game,
rounded up. In this way, a level 36 wizard
would turn out to be a level 28 arch-mage
in the AD&D game.
Gazetteer nations can now be set up in
other game worlds, such as those
described in
the
FORGOTTEN
REALMS Campaign Set or the WORLD
OF GREYHAWK Fantasy Game Setting. This offers interesting alternative
developments to regions not yet charted,
allowing you to continue your campaign
without having to switch to another
game.
Movement between the MJnrothad
Guilds and other campaign worlds is possible through the planar gate atop the
mountain Immortal's Home on Trader's
Isle (see Adventures). Likewise, a previously undiscovered power of the elvish
Carven Oak artifact could be used to send
characters elsewhere in the Known World
or to other dimensions.
Alignments: D&D game characters
have only three alignmentsLawful,
Neutral, or Chaotic. In the AD&D game,
assign, Good, Evil, or Neutral alignments, depending on the context.
Armor Class (AC): In the D&D game,

the highest (worst) armor class is 9- In the

AD&D game, the highest AC is 10.
Classes: In the D&D game, elves,
dwarves, and halflings actually are character classes. D&D game elves correspond
to AD&D game elven fighter/magicusers. D&D game dwarves and halflings
are fighters. At high levels, D&D game
demi-humans use Attack Ranks, which
reflect better fighting abilities. Ignore
these in the AD&D game. Human fighters, clerics, magic-users and thieves are
unchanged.
Coins (en): The abbreviation "en"
stands for "coin" and is a measure of
weight equal to the AD&D game gp.
Dominions: Dominions are lands
under a character's rule, like AD&D
game baronies. Rulers receive taxes from
inhabitants as well as income from natural resources and services. D&D game
dominion populations grow an average
15 percent, or 5dlO people per month.
At 50 inhabitants per square mile, the
growth tops out at Id5 percent, or 5dlO
people. Use AD&D game taxation.
Equipment: The terminology in the
D&D game is very similar to the AD&D
game. Equipment cost, encumbrance,
damage in combat, or AC protection are
slightly different, but not enough to be
worth mentioning. Use the AD&D game
statistics.
Encumbrance: See CD or coins.
Experience: Total accumulated experience for characters is also different
between the two games, but again, not
enough to have a substantial effect on
play. Everybody understands the difference between a level 1 magic-user and a
level 15 wizard...we hope!
Immortals: They are equivalent to the
AD&D game deities. Immortals often are
NPCs who reached level 36 and completed a heroic quest of some son.
Immortals belong to various spheres such
as:
Matter: usually related to lawful
beings, fighter types, or the earth element. Opposed to the Sphere of Time.
Energy: usually related to chaos,
magic-users, or the element of fire.
Opposed to the Sphere of Thought.
Time: usually related to neutral
64

ii4cfl^^^^-B-a^-a^-&^^&a^-c-iM-o^>Qoi>Q-y-Q-o-a-[HHj^^

beings, cleric types, or the element of

water. Opposes the Sphere of Matter.
Thought: usally related to any alignments, thief types, or the element of air.
Opposes the Sphere of Energy.
Entropy: not related to anything
except destruction, it opposes all other
spheres. It corresponds to AD&D game
lower planes. Lords of Entropy are
demons.
Morale: Whenever NPCs or monsters
run into difficulties, especially during
combat, there is a possibility they will
surrender or flee. Use the AD&D game
reaction/loyalty system.
Monsters: Some monsters mentioned
in this supplement do not exist in the
AD&D game. Simply replace them with
another appropriate creature. Keep an
eye on play balance; differences in HD
and special abilities may occur at times,
calling for adjustments.
Movement: Movement rates in the
D&D game are given in feet/turn, and
then in parentheses in feet/round. In the
D&D game, 100'/turn equals 10" /round
in the AD&D game.
Ranges: All distances are expressed in
feet, rather than inches. Assume 10 feet
are equivalent to 1" in the AD&D game.
Rounds: Rounds and turns are used the
same way in both games. The D&D game
does not use segments. A D&D game
round equals one minute; a D&D game
turn equals 60 rounds. For more simplicity, use the AD&D game equivalents
without converting.
Spells: Some D&D game spells have
slightly different names than their
AD&D game counterpart. Simply use
what comes closest. Modify the number
of memorized spells listed for spellcasters to match the AD&D game rules.
War Machine: This is a mass combat
system developed in the D&D game, that
has no equivalent in the AD&D game.
BR stands for Battle Rating and is only
used for the War Machine. We suggest
use of the BATTLESYSTEM Fantasy
Combat Supplement, which works for
both games.
Weapon Mastery: Ignore details for
D&D game weapon mastery and replace
with the AD&D game equivalent.

COVE HARBO
Population; 7,000
Scale: One inch equals 500 feet

1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

GAPTON
Population: 5000
Scale: ONE inch equals 300 feet

1. Gapton Keep
2. Clerics and scholars
3. Guild offices, services
4. Craftsmen and laborers