Dungeon Module X1.

5
Dead Men Tell New Tales
By Thom Wilson and Mike Badolato

The nobles of New Tradertown are dismayed by the news of a missing courtesan, the Lady Anna d'Lannatta. Orgo d'Lannatta, her husband,
swears she was abducted by the smooth-talking swashbuckler, Cortezzo Fadamazzi. All ports and roads leading in or out of New Tradertown
are closed until the kidnap victim is found. Hildric Vendor, a powerful guildmaster, has himself offered a bounty of 5,000 gold coins for her
return and double if the offending privateer is brought to justice. Are your characters willing to accept a bounty that will surely lead them into
the dangerous and corrupt world of pirates and buccaneers?

2019, by ThrowiGames LLC and North Texas RPG Con.

North Texas RPGCon

June 6-9, 2019

Dallas, TX
 Dungeons & Dragons Background: Orgo d'Lannatta, a ruthless
Dungeon Module #X1.5 member of Guild Corser, has recently learned
of his wife's adulterous relationship with an infa-
Dead Men Tell New Tales mous privateer and court philanderer, Cor-
tezzo Fadamazzi. Before he could act, the
swashbuckler and his wife escaped, disap-
Introduction: When I think of great adventures pearing into the night. Orgo claims his wife was
produced in the early eighties, I immediately kidnapped, but the truth is she left willingly.
think of that famous island excursion in the Sea
of Dread. You know the one, that tropical is- The Lady d'Lannatta has been ignored and
land of mystery south of the great continent, mistreated by her scheming husband. With his
detailed in numerous products that followed. attentions fully focused on political intrigue and
In addition to that dangerous isle, there are a court business, he has driven his wife into the
number of uncharted islands nearby, just arms of another man. To avoid public scandal
beckoning to adventurers! and vicious rumors, the nobleman has de-
clared his wife taken and has pointed the fin-
Dead Men Tell New Tales takes place in the ger at the young swashbuckler, Cortezzo. With
Sea of Dread, starting within one of the Sea the support of the local guildman, Hildric Ven-
Guild island cities before plunging brave ad- dor, Orgo has succeeded in closing all roads
venturers into the high seas and to two nearby and ports in and out of the Tradertown. No
islands. There are plenty of unexplored and un- business or trade will transpire until his wife is
named land masses in the Sea of Dread to found.
select for this adventure.
Unfortunately for the poor citizens of Trader-
Notes for the Dungeon Master: Although this town, the Lady and her lover have already left
adventure assumes the Game Master is using the city, arranging passage on the infamous
the B/X game system and the great continent pirate ship, the Sea Fancy. Captained by the
as their world, Dead Men Tell New Tales can be notorious Victollo Strongjaw, the Sea Fancy
adapted to any system and fantasy setting. slipped out into the sea before daybreak after
However, if the GM is playing the book as writ- a port guard was bribed. Captain Strongjaw
ten to fit within the same sea region as that has taken the lovers and his ship to their pirate
“dreadful island”, they should prepare by re- lair to the south.
viewing adventures and supplements within
that region, especially GAZ9, The Minrothad City guards have searched the city for two
Guilds by TSR. This adventure starts on the west- days without finding a trace of the lovers. Orgo
ern side of Trader's Isle in the expanding city of d'Lannatta has publicly announced the boun-
Tradertown. ty, willing to reward hunters 5,000 pieces of
gold to whomever finds and returns his wife.
If GMs want to add this adventure to the end Another 5,000 coins are offered for the kidnap-
of that other, famous island adventure, they per, dead or alive. The Guild laws of Sea strictly
can easily do so. Characters will be able to prohibit local guild members from accepting
spot the fires aboard the Sea Fancy from the bounties, leaving the job and subsequent re-
nearby island and may wish to investigate. If wards to outsiders.
so, skip the first part of this adventure, starting
characters at Chapter Two: The Sea of Dread. The adventure begins in Tradertown after char-
acters have accepted the bounty mission.
Depending on player experience and luck, this They will only be given the descriptions of Anna
adventure should provide 4-8 hours of game- and Cortezzo and be told that the swashbuck-
play, making it suitable for a single night or one ler has known ties to pirates and privateers.
-off adventure.
2
Rumors: Characters may learn additional infor- Port Rumors
mation leading to the Lady's whereabouts by
1.F “Who cares for this court nonsense? The
questioning courtesans and port workers. Ru-
old bastard likely just killed her. Why?
mor tables are listed for both societal castes.
'Cause he could.”
Roll a 1d10 once every four hours of question-
ing to determine if any new information may 2. “All of Strongjaw's sailors were at the Dirty
be learned. Entries marked with an “F” repre- Mermaid just a few days ago. All but a
sent false rumors. few are now gone. Ain't that strange? A
pirate captain leaving some of his faithful
Courtesan Rumors men behind?”
1. “The Lady rarely left her residence in Old 3.F “All this business of shutting down the har-
Tradertown.” bor for some lovers quarrel, it’s hurting my
business. I think she’s just hiding out
2. “The Lady Anna was lonely and missed somewhere to teach her husband a les-
her old life in court. After marrying Orgo, son.”
she rarely visited us in the gardens and
museums.” 4. “She probably just left him. I heard he
was a no-good, backstabbin’ liar. And a
3.F “I heard a group of pirates broke into her
cheat. That’s for certain.”
home while Orgo was away on business,
and took her away!” 5. “They say that handsome Cortezzo was
good friends of Captain Strongjaw, the
4. “I believe someone saw that young cour-
scourge of the Sea of Dread. Some say
tesan kiss the Lady's hand for a second
Cortezzo was once his first mate.”
longer than was appropriate. They said
she only smiled at the blunder.” 6.F “They gotta be in Tradertown. Them roads
and port gates are locked up good.
5.F “Orgo dotes on his young wife, lavishing
There's no getting past them guards, not
her with exotic gifts and rare spices regu-
with Orgo running things up on the hill.”
larly.”
7. “Good for her. That Orgo d'Lannatta is
6. “My friend said that she saw a large
mixed up with Guild Corser who they say
bruise on the Lady's arm recently.”
plots to kill Guildmaster Oran Meditor. She
7. “Lady Anna was once full of life and probably just ran away with that good-
looked forward to marrying a nobleman. lookin' swashbuckler.”
She seemed to lose some of that excite- 8. “Just as the harbor alarm bells tolled, my
ment once she was wed.” son saw a sleek ship sliding between the
8.F “I heard the Lady would often leave her gates. He said it was a pirate vessel for
home in the middle of the night to ride sure.”
aboard pirate vessels! How inappropri- 9.F “I saw Lady Anna disguised as a low-
ate for a young noblewoman!” caste maid, leaving the city on the East
9.F “Given her lonely disposition, I heard she Road. I could tell it was her, ‘cause the
left Orgo and gave herself to the Temple girl was too pretty to be a lowborn.”
Sea.” 10. “I saw Cortezzo a week earlier, selling off
10. “My servant’s sister, a maid at the d’Lan- some of his fancy possessions down at
natta home, said she saw Orgo strike the the port trade shop. When I hailed him,
young lady in the face just before he an- he looked the other way. When I got
grily left their home. Lady Anna didn’t closer, he grabbed his gold and slipped
leave her bedchambers for a week.” out the door. Strange, even for Cortezzo.”

3
Chapter One: Tradertown East Road Guard Post
Much of the layout and details of the city are
unimportant to this adventure as the real mis- Guards at this post have been strictly warned
sion takes characters into the Sea of Dread. about allowing any entry or exit through the
However, as characters navigate both New gates. No one without a pass signed by a
and Old Tradertown, they will need to visit a Guildmaster is allowed to pass through. If ques-
few places where rumors from the tables tioned, they will not recall seeing anyone
above have led them. matching the descriptions of Lady Anna or
Cortezzo. They also will be adamant that no
Tradertown Court and Gardens unauthorized persons have slipped through,
listing only a half-dozen names of reputable
Sitting atop a great hill at the old city's center, merchants and noblemen that have been
the Tradertown Court is the primary place of granted passage.
governing and business for the western city.
Noblemen and women are found there during While the guards turn back citizens and visitors
the day, either sitting within the building's cold trying to exit, a line of waiting travelers desiring
walls, pontificating and gesturing, or wandering entrance into Tradertown has formed outside
its wondrous gardens, flirting and gossiping. No the gates.
lowborn citizens are allowed at the court unless
on official guild business. The Dirty Mermaid

At least three nights a week, the Court holds a Situated on the far end of the wharf, the Dirty
banquet or ball for highborn citizens. These Mermaid appears ready to fall into the harbor
events are attended by invitation only – invita- water at any moment. The ramshackle, two-
tions are extended by guildmasters and their story building leans heavily to one side, highly
advisors exclusively. dependent on a city wall to keep if from a col-
lapse. Drunken sailors, unemployed port work-
Tradertown Trade Shop ers, and thugs looking for an easy mark slip in
and out of the building at all hours. Much of
Owned by Brugg Offenbawler, the Tradertown the harbor flotsam and jetsam aggregates be-
Trade Shop is the best place to sell goods, re- low the docks in front of the tavern and inn,
gardless of how their seller came by them. contributing to the awful stench of the area.
Brugg looks the other way and asks few ques-
tions. In exchange for his silence, sellers will re- Barmaid and owner Fraunna Yippsi is a hulking
ceive inadequate offers, often one-tenth the brute of a woman, capable of tossing a sea-
item's value. However, anyone can sell their soned pirate or drunken mercenary out the
legal or illegal items without worry of judgment front door of her establishment without break-
or arrest. Brugg can always find a buyer for ing a sweat. Her foul mouth and hairy chin are
what he takes in. legendary in Tradertown. However, her rough
exterior belies her honest and good-natured
If asked, Brugg will not remember Cortezzo heart. She rarely lies and will never betray a
coming in and selling his personal effects. Un- trusted friend.
less threatened with actual and believable
death, Brugg will not divulge any customer in- Fraunna Yippsi, Fighter 5th level. S17 I13 W13
formation (even then, he may give false testi- D14 C15 Ch7, AC 6 HP 30, carries a club +2
mony instead). However, if characters pay 250 under her apron, wears leather armor.
gp or more for information about Cortezzo, he
may hint to answers that may be found at the
Dirty Mermaid.

4
She knows Cortezzo but has not seen him for a Conclusion to Chapter One
few weeks since he began spending more By this time, the characters should have con-
time at Court. If asked about Strongjaw or the cluded that the lovers left Tradertown by way of
Sea Fancy, she'll point to the three drunken the pirate ship, the Sea Fancy. They will need
sailors (pirates) in the corner who have not left to convince Orgo d'Lannatta that his wife and
the tavern in several days. her lover have left the city and to arrange for
them to secure passage into the Sea of
The pirates are extremely drunk and can be Dread. The nobleman will have to give the or-
played by the GM in two different ways – either der to open the harbor gates to allow the
defiant in their protection of their captain or characters to continue their search.
careless with information, feeling betrayed by
him. The characters should be able to get key Of course, Orgo will want to know the charac-
information out of the men somehow. What ters’ next step so that he can arrange for a
the adventurers will learn is that the pirates' second set of bounty hunters to follow the
captain had to round up his men quickly and group. Not trusting foreigners and wanting to
depart Tradertown in mere minutes. Being too prevent the truth of his wife's disappearance
drunk to sail, these three were left behind. They from surfacing, Orgo will wait for the characters
were given a note (which none of them can to do the dirty work of dispatching pirates and
read) that states that the Sea Fancy will be finding his wife before trying to eliminate them.
gone for a few weeks and should return to Only when the characters have succeeded in
Tradertown when the port is open again. finding Anna and Cortezzo will the second
team of hunters step in to secure their prize.
The pirates will not divulge the location of their They have happily agreed to murder the med-
camp unless threatened considerably or given dling characters as an additional reward.
enough gold to buy their knowledge.

Port Gate Guards

If the characters obtain a small rowboat and

row out to the guard tower by the port gate,
they can talk to the guards about their duty. A
guard will mention that, during the night of the
alarm, he awoke to find the new guard on du-
ty to be gone and the gate open. He quickly
closed the gate but has not seen the guard
since.

If the small area around the tower exterior is

searched, characters will find the decompos-
ing body of the missing guard. His hand is
clutching a leather bag and a crossbow quar-
rel is firmly set in his chest. The bag contains
100 gp and a note that reads, “Open the gate
at the arranged time for the discussed
amount. No questions. -S” Captain Strongjaw
had bribed the new guard to allow the Sea
Fancy to pass but when the guard tried to get
more gold for his service, he was killed.

5
Chapter Two: The Sea of Dread Vessel Passage—Costs
A violent and often unpredictable body of wa- Ship Cost * Details
ter, the Sea of Dread has a long history of sink-
Trading Ship 1 gp Common sleeping area,
ing ships and taking souls. Great aquatic food and water included
beasts roam the waters, searching for trapped
vessels in calmed winds. Huge waves occa- Merchant Ship 5 gp Private cabin, food and
wine/beer included
sionally appear out of nowhere – catching in-
experienced sailors unawares and sending Military Ship 5 sp Common sleeping area,
food and water included
them to watery graves. Only veteran sailors
should attempt to sail the Sea of Dread. Guild Ship Varies varies
* cost is per character per day
Wandering monsters may be encountered on Table 2
the sea—roll a 1d100 once every four hours of
sea travel, consulting Table 1 for results. the dangerous sea, nothing prevents charac-
ters from trying this approach. Review Table 3
Characters leaving the mainland should seek for ship types and costs.
transport aboard a merchant vessel or military
ship once the authorities of Tradertown have Note that Captain Strongjaw's camp is well hid-
lifted the lock down on the port city. Several den within the archipelago in the south. If the
trading ships will be eager to leave the harbor, characters were unable to extract the location
their holds filled with spices, wines, and salted from the drunken pirates at the Dirty Mermaid,
meats destined for distant ports. Additionally, they may be able to learn of its site by former
Guild military ships have been ready to return sailors, or merchants who are smart enough to
to their patrol routes and will willingly accept avoid the approximate area.
passengers if authorization is given by leaders.
For characters looking to leave quietly, a few Cortezzo and Anna’s Voyage
privateer ships may accept passengers. Of
course, adventurers will have to take their While the characters were searching the city
chances with the unscrupulous pirates. for clues to the noble woman's whereabouts,
the pair of lovers were making their way across
Passage may be booked with several vessel the Sea of Dread aboard the Sea Fancy. Alt-
types found within the Tradertown harbor— hough Captain Strongjaw and Cortezzo were
consult Table 2 for options. once crewmates during the captain's first
command, the sailors aboard his new ship
A dozen small sailing ships are available for have no ties to the fleeing swashbuckler. In
sale or rent for brave (or foolish) characters. Alt- fact, during their voyage to the pirate's camp,
hough this option is not recommended due to
Sea of Dread—Wandering Monsters
1d100 Roll Result “Wandering” Monster # Encountered Basic Statistics
01-02 Shark, Great White 1-4 AC 4 HD 8 MV 180 AT 1 D 2-20
03-04 Elemental, Water 1-2 AC 2 HD 8 MV 180 AT 1 D 1-8
05 Sea Serpent 1 AC 5 HD 6 MV 150 AT 1 D 2-12
06 Sea Dragon 1 AC 1 HD 8 MV 180 AT 1 D 3-24
07-08 Octopus, Giant 1-2 AC 7 HD 8 MV 90 AT 9 D 1-3(x8)/1-6
09-10 Squid, Giant 1-2 AC 7 HD 6 MV 120 AT 9 D 1-4(x8)/1-10
11-12 Whale, Killer 1-6 AC 6 HD 6 MV 240 AT 1 D 1-20
Table 1
6
 Sailing Ship Costs
Ship Cost * Miles / Day Sailors (Min) Details
Boat, Sailing 2,000 gp 72 1 MV 120, AC 8, 20-40 Hull points
Sailing Ship, Small 5,000 gp 90 10 MV 150, AC 8, 60-90 Hull points
Longship 15,000 gp 18/90 75 MV 90/150, AC 8, 60-80 Hull points
* cost to buy, or 10% of cost to rent per day (not including sailors or rowers, costing 3-5 sp or 1sp per day, respectively.
Table 3
several of the pirates colluded to cheat the The Forbidden Isle
unsuspecting Cortezzo out of all of his wealth.
Before the pirates pull the Sea Fancy into their Arrival at Strongjaw's Camp
protected lagoon, they will have already cor-
nered Cortezzo in the dark hold of the vessel, Long before the characters arrive at the small
demanding their payments from the fixed island, they will have seen the smoke of the
games. burning Sea Fancy. The lagoon entrance is
challenging to find, well hidden by mangrove
Unable to pay the money owed to several trees and several rocks at its mouth. When the
men, the pirates locked up both lovers with the characters enter the lagoon, they clearly see
intention of killing the swashbuckler and ran- the damaged pirate ship as well as dozens of
soming Anna to the Guilds in Tradertown. A slain sailors in the water and along the beach.
dozen sailors will be searching the ship for Cor- Captain Strongjaw and his men will be found
tezzo's wealth, unaware that Strongjaw has resting on the beach (Area A1), nursing their
kept the lover's treasure safe in his personal wounds with rum and ale.
quarters.
The captain and his men will be drunk and ill-
When Captain Strongjaw learned of the de- tempered, and will warn the characters that if
ception, he and several pirates loyal to their they don't leave the island they will be killed.
leader attempted to lock the cheating sailors Although injured and clearly tired after the
in the brig. Divided into two groups, the pirates failed mutiny, they are still a formidable force
fought aboard the Sea Fancy, setting fire to of hardened cutthroats. If the characters delay
the vessel before the killing spilled out onto the or refuse, the pirates charge.
beach of their island camp. By the time it was
all over, Captain Strongjaw and a dozen trust- The captain and his men will protect Cortezzo
ed men are all that are left of the crew. The and Anna regardless of what happens to
Sea Fancy, badly burned but repairable, re- them. After searching the camp and beach,
mains drifting in the lagoon. the characters will likely find the pair's footprints
leading into the jungle beyond.
Cortezzo and Anna escaped their imprison-
ment during the fight between the pirates fled
into the jungle of the small island. Before
speeding off, the pair were able to remove
their stored treasure from within the Captain's
cabin. However, Cortezzo, never one to leave
an opportunity behind, also secured several of
Strongjaw's valuables as well.

7
 Both the captain and first mate have the num-
ber of steps and turns from the beach to their
buried treasure tattooed on their chests. See
Area G for more details on their hidden trove of
valuables.

Area A2: Common Area

Most of the crew of the Sea Fancy use this long

hut for sleeping quarters, resting, and gam-
bling. On warm evenings, many pirates will
build bonfires on the beach, sing, drink rum,
and eventually nod off – sleeping until woken
by their captain the next morning. The crew will
use the hammocks in the long hut on rainy
nights or when they need a good night of rest.

Four dozen hammocks hang from dozens of

Area A. Pirate Camp sunken timber throughout the long structure. A
A1: Pirate Beach few footlockers and burlap bags litter the floor
but are empty of anything of value – a pirate
The sands run red with the blood of a few doz- would be crazy to leave valuables in the hut.
en pirates, their corpses littering the beach
and already beginning to overtake the pleas- Area A3: Dining and Kitchen
ant smells of the ocean and jungle plants
nearby. A single rowboat is tied to a worn but Pirates take turns, two per day, to prepare
serviceable dock that juts out into the lagoon. meals for the crew of the Sea Fancy. Dozens
Thirteen pirates lounge on the beach, resting of stools surround a half-dozen filthy, wobbly
after their violent dispute with a portion of the tables. Old food and dirty utensils are scat-
crew. Captain Strongjaw, his first mate, and tered throughout the messy hut. A crate of salt-
eleven sailors drink rum and ale as they rest. ed meat, six loaves of hard bread, and a small
cask of ale are found in the preparation end of
Pirates (11): AC 7 (leather), HD 1, HP 5 each, the dining area.
#AT 1 weapon, D 1-6 short sword or crossbow,
MV 120 (40'), Save F1, ML 8, XP 10 each Area A4: Latrine

First Mate: AC 6 (leather armor +1), HD 4, HP The hut at the far end of the pirate camp is
20, #AT 1 weapon, D 1-8+1 sword +1, MV 120 their latrine. Several filled-in holes adjacent to
(40'), Save F4, ML 9, XP 75 the jungle nearby hint to other previous loca-
tions of their outhouse.
Captain Strongjaw: AC 4 (chainmail +1), HD
7*, HP 35, #AT 1 weapon, D 1-8+2 sword +2, Area A5: First Mate's Hut
MV 120 (40'), Save F7, ML 10, XP 850
The second-in-command of the Sea Fancy is
Note that the GM may want to alter the hit entitled to his own hut, separating the crew
points of the pirates to reflect their injuries from from the Captain's quarters nearby. The first
their recent battle. Dozens of swords, a few mate is responsible for taking charge of the
crossbows, and a hundred or so quarrels can men when the captain is not present or deal-
be found on the beach, dropped by dying ing with issues with the crew that aren't worthy
and dead pirates.
8
of Strongjaw's time. The current first mate has
been with the captain for almost three years.

His hut is nearly empty, besides a hammock,

an empty chest, and a bookshelf filled with
dusty tomes chronicling the feats and marvels
of fictional pirates and legendary swashbuck-
lers. One of the tomes has a Scroll of Magic
Missile folded in the back.
The Sea Fancy
Like Strongjaw, the bulk of the first mate's best
loot is hidden in a secret location known only The once-sturdy ship is badly burned and bare-
by himself and his captain. A massive chest is ly seaworthy after the battle between the pi-
buried in the southern beach of a lake in the rates. It lists in the lagoon and is blackened
jungle (Area G). with smoke and fire in dozens of areas. The hull
is still sound but the ship requires several days
Area A6: Strongjaw's Hut (up to two weeks) of repairs before it can be
trusted in open water again.
Although the captain prefers sleeping aboard
the Sea Fancy, there are times when a com- The captain's cabin will be found with a splin-
fortable bed on land is a welcome break from tered door and his belongings obviously
the violent rocking of the unforgiving sea. searched. Before escaping, Cortezzo and An-
Strongjaw keeps his hut sparsely furnished, stor- na took as much as they could carry within the
ing his best sheets, clothes, and wines aboard room, including the majority of their valuables
his ship. His most valuable items are hidden in and most of the captain's. Unable to carry
a secret location, buried under the sand at the everything, they left behind a bag of silver (500
edge of a jungle lake (Area G). Only he and sp), the Captain's dagger +1, a box of jewelry
the first mate know of this location deep within (20 pieces, each ranging from 100 gp to 500
the jungle. gp value, including a Ring of Protection +1),
several expensive gowns, and a dozen old
However, when Captain Strongjaw requires treasure maps of unreliable authenticity.
coin to pay for services or to buy a needed
supply, and he doesn't have the time to make Flight into the Jungle
the trek to his stash at the lake, he will uncover
the hidden iron box from a hole in the sand Cortezzo, unfamiliar with the jungle of the is-
under his hammock. He keeps 250 sp, 100 gp, land, led Anna down several trails before even-
and 20 pp in the chest at all times. tually finding the boats at the beach (Area M).
His tracks are easy to spot from the pirate
Area A7: Entrance into the Jungle camp to Area B. After that, they become hard-
er to follow as Cortezzo and Anna changed
A single trail leads out of the camp and into a directions several times searching for a safe
dense, humid jungle. Most of the pirates rarely location.
venture far into the tropical area, preferring to
sleep on the sandy beach, swim in the lagoon, Although the pair entered several areas hoping
or drink in the huts instead of facing the horrors to hide from the pirates, Anna felt unsafe in the
of the dark jungle beyond their safe camp. strange locations. Cortezzo kept them moving
Several pirates brave the jungle trail to hunt north and eventually west, where they found
apes (Area B) or swim in the mystical waters of the boat at the beach, fleeing the island to
the volcanic spring (Area H). Few of the pirates the smaller land mass a mile west.
have ventured beyond these known locales.
9
Use Table 4 as characters try to track the lovers At this time, the leader is a huge specimen (6
through the jungle. Many of Cortezzo’s tracks HD) of almost 100 years in age who has man-
are identifiable in several places between jun- aged to teach himself to read and write. He
gle locations. Although the table may indicate and the rest of his pack (18 strong) hold a dim
“automatic” success in some places, the DM opinion of most humanoid creatures because
should still make characters roll for tracking their white fur has been the object of many pi-
success, rates and hunters who have come to this isle
over the years. Therefore, their initial contact
Tracking Cortezzo and Anna with the party will be hostile. Unless the party
Between Areas Roll 1d6 Result takes great pains to show the apes compas-
A to B Auto Follow tracks sion or courtesy, they will be treated as ene-
mies. The six most powerful apes are the sol-
B to H 1-3 Tracks go North
diers and scouts of the army and half will al-
4-5 Tracks go West ways be patrolling the perimeter of their territo-
6 Tracks go East ry. The apes use their huge fists and crude
weapons including bows and stone-tipped ar-
B to C 1-5 Tracks enter area C
rows (1d6 dmg) dipped in snake venom (every
6 Tracks leave C, go West other arrow causes a save vs. poison at +4,
H to I 1-2 Tracks go West failed save for an additional 1d6 dmg). Their
intelligence and jungle ingenuity helps them
3-4 Tracks go North
employ sophisticated defenses in the form of
5-6 Tracks go East pit and falling net traps around their lair. If
I to M Auto Follow tracks somehow befriended, the leader will trade the
H to J 1-5 Tracks enter area J
party a map to a hidden artifact he has no
use for (human-/elf-sized chainmail +3, buried
6 Tracks leave J, go South nearby in a hidden location). Otherwise, the
H to K 1-4 Tracks enter K group of white apes has no treasure except for
5-6 Tracks leave K, go South small gemstones they use for decorating their
camp (1-2 stones per ape, worth 1d4 gp per
C Auto No tracks found
stone).
F Auto No tracks found
J Auto No tracks found White Apes: AC: 6, HD: 4, HP: 27, 20x5, 19,
18, 17, 16x4, 15, 12x3, 11, # AT: 2 claws or
Table 4
bows, D: 1-4/1-4 or 1-6, MV: 120’ (40’), Save: F
Thousands of deadly creatures hunt the dense 2, ML: 9, AL: N
jungle, seeking their next meal. The wandering
monster chart in Table 5 should be checked White Ape Leader: AC: 4 (bone armor), HD: 6,
every 1-2 hours while characters travel in the HP: 40, # AT: 2 claws, D: 2-5/2-5, MV: 120’ (40’),
island jungle. Save: F 3, ML: 10, AL: N

Area B. Lair of the White Apes

This area is dominated by a group of white

apes, a mutated offshoot of the regular apes
of the isle. These apes are as intelligent as
men and have a society based on Geniocra-
cy, where the most creative and intelligent
take over the leadership of the pack when
they are old enough, and rule until they die.
10
 Forbidden Isle—Wandering Monsters
1d100 Roll Result “Wandering” Monster # Encountered Basic Statistics
01 Quicksand 1 Dexterity save fail, drown in 1d6 rounds
02 Tar Pit 1 Dexterity save fail, drown in 1d4 rounds
03-04 Jungle Pit 1 Check versus Traps, take 1d6+1 damage
05-06 Zombies (from area J) 1d4 AC8 HD2 HP 10 MV 120 AT 1 D 1-8
07-08 Large Lizards, Chameleon 1d3 AC 2 HD 5 HP 25 MV 120 AT 2 D 2-8/1-6
09-10 Jungle Cat 1d2 AC 4 HD 4 HP 20 MV 210 AT 3 D 1-4/1-4/1-8
11-12 Murder Vines 1 AC4 HD 5 HP 20 MV 0 AT 1 D 1-3
13-15 White Apes 1d2 AC6 HD 4 HP 15 MV 120 AT 2 D 2-5/2-5

Table 5

Area C. Abandoned Village filling the central living area with rotting leaves
and stagnant water. A careful search will re-
An ancient race of snake people once resided veal a jade, snake statuette worth 1,250 gp
in this abandoned village. Their visages can be and a hidden ivory box filled with fifty plain, sil-
found as wall mosaics, worn statues, and on ver discs. Each disc is worth 10 sp. The side
cracked path tiles. The jungle has slowly crept rooms where the occupants slept are empty.
into the village, overtaking most of the old huts
and stone outbuildings. However, the three in- Area C2: Royal Palace
terior structures are mostly free of creeping
vines and thickening undergrowth. This two-story structure has held up surprisingly
well, resisting the erosion of weather and time.
Area C1: Private Residence The door to the palatial building is locked and
(map on inside cover) the windows are all shuttered from within. A
golden door knocker in the shape of a cobra
Tall, thick weeds and young trees have sprout- head is set with two small rubies. If removed
ed up all around the building, forcing those undamaged, it is worth 2,500 gp.
wishing to enter the single-story structure to
hack through the growth to find an entrance. The interior of the palace is bare, its furniture
Two jungle pythons hide within the serried bam- and valuables removed long ago. An intense
boo stalks. Both will attack the first passerby. evil presence is felt by Lawful beings upon en-
try – a failed saving throw versus Rods, Staves,
Jungle Pythons (as Rock Pythons): AC 6, HD 5*, or Spells causes Lawful adventurers to flee the
HP 25 each, #AT 1 bite/1 squeeze, D 1-4/2-8, place for 1d6 turns.
MV 90 (30'), Save F3, ML 8, XP 300 each – a
successful bite attack begins the constriction. Although the first and second floors are empty,
a concealed hatch to a basement will lead to
A nest of snake eggs (1d4+1) is found in the the former occupant's family tomb filled with
thickest part of the growth. Additionally, a doz- stone slabs, skeletal snake creatures, and sev-
en necklaces, bracelets, and rings lie amidst eral jars overflowing with gold and silver coins.
the eggs and straw of the nest. Each piece of Stepping upon the dirt floor of the basement
jewelry is worth between 100 gp and 350 gp awakens the four skeletal snake-men who rise
(1d6+1, x50 gp). to attack. Each undead snake-man can at-
tack three times each round or concentrate
The roof of the residence collapsed long ago, on one target to induce a strong fear that may
cause their target to flee (save as above).
11
Skeletal Snake-men: AC 7, HD 4*, HP 20 each, New Magic Item
#AT 1 bite/2 claws, D 1-6/1-4/1-4, MV 60’ (20'), Potion of Flesh Protection. When imbibed, this
Save F2, ML 12, XP 125 each – turned as potion protects from petrification and paraly-
Mummies. zation effects from monsters and spells for 48
hours. Additionally, it provides a base armor
Each snake-man was laid to rest with its cere- class of 3 for exposed skin. If armor is worn, the
monial javelin and shield, now found on the armor class of the armor is used instead.
slab or on the floor nearby. Each javelin is a
+1 weapon but deals +2 damage to Lawful
creatures. 5,000 sp and 1,750 gp are found in
the clay jars in the room. A secret niche under
one of the stone slabs holds the palatial fami-
ly's true treasure – a Staff of Power with 3 charg-
es remaining.

Area C3: Meeting Pavilion

Nobles once met in this open-air pavilion to

discuss village business or to lounge in the jun-
gle heat. A sloped, stone roof supported by
eight granite pillars is open on all four sides,
although the thick vegetation of the surround-
ing jungle threatens to soon overtake the an-
cient structure. To gain entry to the pavilion, a
group of adventurers must hack their way
through several dozen feet of interwoven bam-
boo and weeds.
Area D. Deserted Temple
Once inside the structure, the group will find
colorful mosaic floor tiles, stone benches, and Snake-men from the nearby village (Area C)
several small, dry pools. Three snake-men skel- once traveled daily to their evil temple in this
etons lie on the floor, their arms outstretched to area. Strangely, the jungle has not overtaken
the south as if they had died face down in the clearing where a tiered temple stands at its
prayer. Each skeleton is wearing beaded and middle. Although decrepit and crumbling in
glass jewelry around their bony necks and places, the stone structure rises proudly above
wrists. Each piece is worth 50 to 100 gp to col- the stunted jungle trees along the edge of the
lectors in the region. One skeleton still holds a open area.
golden key in its bony hand. This key opens the
temple in Area D. Several old huts and partially standing stone
structures are clearly visible in the clearing. A
A thorough search of the temple area will re- well-marked trail leads directly to the gilded
veal a concealed spot under a loose floor tile. front doors of the large monolith. Filled with
A small vial of thick, viscous fluid is found within sparse furnishings, the huts looked to be the
the hole. When opened, the brown liquid gives living quarters for servants and peasants. Each
off a putrid, foul smell. However, when fully stone structure is marked with several en-
consumed, it provides 48 hours of full re- graved outlines of a snake-man, supplicating
sistance to petrification and paralyzation. to a large, winged snake. The stone buildings
were used by priests before the snake-men
mysteriously left the jungle island.
12
If adventurers climb the tiered temple, they will
find a sacrificial table at the top, stained for
decades by spilled blood and viscera. Black-
ened clay pots and remnants of straw baskets
are piled near the table, hinting to their dark
purposes. A search of the table will reveal a
concealed storage alcove in the base of the
table. Two sacrificial knives and a silver head-
band are found within. Each knife is equivalent
to a dagger +1, +2 versus Lawful creatures.
The silver headband acts as a Helm of Align-
ment Changing except that it only changes a
wearer's alignment to Chaos. The cursed item
may only be removed by magical means
(e.g. remove curse spell). Much of the interior has collapsed within the
structure – a singular, clear hallway leads to
A trough in the stone floor under the grotesque the center of the temple but all the side pas-
table leads down the southern side of the sages, small alcoves, and rooms along the
structure, ending above a strange depression central hallway are filled with rubble and are
in the ground behind the temple. Stirring the thus impassable. The dark hallway, from the
dirt in the depression awakens the remnants of front doors to the temple, is seventy-five feet in
sacrificed victims – within 1d4 rounds, partial length. At the end of the wide passage, char-
and whole human skeletons will begin digging acters will find a temple within a massive, hol-
their way out of the shallow grave. low space. The ceiling is supported by hun-
dreds of columns throughout the center of the
1d100 Skeletons: AC 7, HD 1, HP 4 or 2 (torso building. Instead of a many-tiered, multi-level
skeletons) each, #AT 1 claw, D 1-6, MV 60 (20') structure, the characters will see a single room
or half for partial skeletons, Save F1, ML 12, XP once used as a temple.
10 each.
Twenty stone crypts line the path from the hall-
The skeletons will continue to emerge from the way to the back of the temple. Hundreds of
depression until it is emptied, attacking any liv- stone benches, positioned to face the back of
ing thing they can find. If left to their own de- the temple, fill the rest of the room. Each crypt
vices, the skeletons will climb the temple, re- contains the remains of a former priest of the
lentlessly searching for a way inside to find the vile temple. Each priest is buried in ceremonial
priests that murdered them long ago. garb and has one magical scroll tucked in its
waistband. Additionally, there is a 1 in 6
Temple Interior chance that a bag of coins may be found
with the priest's remains. 1d20 gold pieces are
The large, gilded doors of the temple are a found within any bag located.
challenge to open, reducing thieves skills by
half. (i.e., if a sixth-level thief attempts to open For each scroll found, roll a 1d6 to determine
these doors, they use the third-level percent- the spell level of the scroll: 1-3 represents a first
age chance.) However, the adventurers can level spell, 4-5 is a second level, and a 6 for a
open the doors with the golden key found in third level spell. Note that 75% of the scrolls
Area C3. Regardless of how the doors are contain Cleric spells. Once the spell level is
opened, chimes ring within the structure for six- known, roll the appropriate die to find the spell
ty seconds afterward. on the scroll. Each scroll will deteriorate in the
heat of the region within 7 days.
13
At the back of the room, a huge jade idol New Magic Item
stands upon a gigantic slab of black granite. Fangbite, scimitar +2: Wielder may attack
The snake idol has a pair of wings that spread twice per combat round (or once more than
out over forty feet. The idol's arms are also out- allowed at the wielder's level). The bonus at-
stretched, holding a sickle and a scimitar in its tack always occurs last in the round. If both at-
hands. tacks are successful, the second attack releas-
es a deadly poison (victim may make a saving
Closer inspection reveals that the idol is made throw). If the victim succeeds on their saving
of stone, covered in thousands of carved piec- throw roll, the scimitar deals double damage
es of jade (each thin piece is worth 25 gp and instead.
weighs one pound). Touching the idol disturbs
the hibernating creatures of the temple – doz- Area E. Crab Beach
ens of small, winged snake creatures are fast
asleep, hidden in the contours of the dark- The jungle trail terminates at a wide and white
ened ceiling, until awakened. sandy beach that stretches several hundred
feet in either direction. Driftwood and dead
2d12+12 Winged Snake-Imps: AC 7, HD 1*, seaweed litter the beach close to the water
HP 4 each, #AT 1 bite + low-intensity venom, line and dozens of small crabs meander about
D 1-3, MV 30 (10'), Save F2, ML 10, XP 13 each the hot sand. Warm wind blows in the from the
ocean and waves roll up on to the beach with
Each bite of a winged snake creature intro- a pleasing rhythm.
duces a mild venom into the target's blood-
stream, causing discomfort and disorientation Six Giant Crabs lurk in nearby mangrove trees,
(all attacks and saving throws are made at -1 springing into ravenous action when the ad-
penalty) for four hours. Although the penalty venturers enter the beach.
does not get any worse than -1, each success-
ful bite increases the length of the time the 6 Giant Crabs: AC 2, HD 3, HP 13 each, #AT 2
venom remains in the target's system by four pincers, D 2-12, MV 60 (20'), Save F2, ML 7, XP
more hours. 35 each

Though the sickle and scimitar held by the idol A partially buried chest lies within the center of
are both large and ornamental, any who the mangrove trees, left behind by pirates who
grasp either weapon will magically transform frequented the isle long before Strongjaw ar-
both artifacts to their true state. Those that rived. The bottom of the chest has rotted, re-
grasp one of the weapons must pass a saving leasing most of its smaller contents into the
throw versus Spells to avoid succumbing to the ocean years ago. However, a large golden
weapon's evil effects. These effects are as if cup in the shape of a human skull with a doz-
the wielder were hit by the weapon, as de- en diamond teeth and two sapphire eyes re-
scribed below. mains within the rotting chest. The cup weighs
three pounds and is worth between 5,000 and
New Magic Item 10,000 gp.
Venomcoil, sickle +2 (treat as shortsword for
damage): Once per day, wielder may snap
the sickle to uncoil it into the form of a 20'
whip. It may remain in this state for 10 combat
rounds. Each successful hit in the whip form
releases a deadly poison (victim may make a
saving throw).

14
Area F. Murder Vines Contents of Strongjaw’s Chest
Bag Contents Details
This area of the jungle trail is filled with unnatu-
1 Silver coins 3,427 sp
rally thick vegetation, preventing access to the
path beyond. Any attempt to move or strike 2 Gold coins 2,991 gp
the vegetation urges the surrounding Murder 3 Platinum coins 769 pp
Vines into motion, stretching dozens of thorny
4 Emeralds (77) 75 x50gp, 1x250gp, 1x500gp
and strangling vines toward victims.
5 Sapphires (49) 45 x25gp, 2 x100gp,
Murder Vines: AC 4, HD 5, HP 22, #AT strangu- 2 x250gp
lation, D 1-3, MV 0 (0'), Save F3, ML 12, XP 175 6 Rubies (98) 90 x25gp, 4 x150gp,
4 x500gp
Captain Strongjaw and his first mate have a 7 Diamonds (155) 100 x10gp, 29 x50gp,
concealed a small trail around the murder 20 x250 gp, 6 x1,000gp
vines, found by adventurers with a secret door 8 Jewelry 14 necklaces x500gp each, 27
check roll from either side. bracelets x100gp each,
67 earrings x10gp each,
1 diamond/ruby tiara 5,000gp
Area G. Jungle Lake
9 Glass Sphere Crystal Ball, with ESP and Clair-
audience
The eastern trail ends at the small beach of a
clear lake. Water from springs far below the isle 10 Mosaic Bottle Stoppered Efreeti Bottle
provide clean, fresh water for the island's in- Table 6
habitants (wandering monster chances are
double in this location). Several old buckets Characters looking into the lake from the
and clay pots are found along the beach, beach may see a glint of amber below the
used by the former villagers who traveled here surface a few dozen feet from shore. What ap-
for drinkable water. pears to be an amber statue of a great lion
that sits mid-roar within the shallows of the lake
Several dilapidated huts have suffered the ele- is actually an Amber Golem, waiting to be re-
ments of the jungle along the edge of the activated (by touch). Left here by a mighty wiz-
lake, each emptied of contents long ago. ard after his death, the Amber Golem stands
Captain Strongjaw's treasure is found in their watch over its master's watery grave dozens of
midst, buried at the center of the abandoned feet below. Walking nearby or touching the go-
village. If the characters have the pace count lem reawakens it.
from the pirates' tattoos, they easily find the
buried treasure. Without the map, there is a 1% Amber Golem: AC 6, HD 10**, HP 45, #AT 2
chance that adventurers realize the area may claws, 1 bite, D 2-12 / 2-12 / 2-20, MV 180
contain hidden treasure by discovering dis- (60'), Save F5, ML 12, XP 2,300
turbed earth or a slight depression in the
ground.

Two chests are buried in the sand, roughly

three feet under the surface. The larger chest is
owned by Captain Strongjaw and is filled with
ten leather bags (see the contents in the table
below). The first mate's smaller chest is filled
with gold and silver coins, 1,567 gp and 2,092
sp.

15
A stone coffin is buried below the Amber Go-
lem's location, set over fifty feet below the wa-
ter. The great wizard Xendestofes was buried
with his two most prized possessions – a Staff of
Wizardry with 1d10 charges and his massive,
100-page spell book. The spell book still has
2d12+5 spells within (GM to determine levels
and spells). The skeletal form of the dead wiz-
ard still clutches both his items. Note that expo-
sure to water will likely ruin the spell book.

Any disturbance in the water may summon two Area I. Rock Formation
Giant Catfish that are resting in the mud at the
bottom of the lake. The fifteen foot long crea- Although not easily seen from the trail itself, a
tures are always hungry and would enjoy a strange rock formation can be glimpsed peek-
good meal of floundering adventurer. ing above the jungle canopy from any higher
location on the isle. Unnatural and seemingly
2 Giant Catfish: AC 4, HD 8+3, HP 39 each, purposeless, this strange arrangement of
#AT 1 bite, 4 tentacles, D 2-16 / 1-4 x4, MV 90 blended rocks and narrow openings has a sin-
(30'), Save F4, ML 8, XP 650 each ister and unwelcoming appearance. Those
brave enough to venture close will sense great
Area H: Volcanic Spring evil emanating from the mound. Touching or
climbing the rocks disturbs the linen-wrapped
Boiling water, heated by the volcanic moun- remains of mold-covered pygmy-wights. Four
tain at the center of the island, bubbles up smallish creatures will take one round to crawl
from underground and fills a vast pool at the from the small niches to attack any living crea-
junction of four jungle trails. A stream of cooler ture within sight.
water joins the boiling pool, reducing the tem-
perature to a tolerable warmth. Primates and a 4 Mold-covered Pygmy-wights: AC 4, HD
few brave pirates occasionally take short dips 1+1**, HP 6 each, #AT 2 claws, 1 bite, D 1-3 /
in the pool, relaxing in its soothing heat. There 1-3 / 1-4 + level drain, MV 60 (20'), Save F2, ML
is a 25% chance that one to two gorillas may 12, XP 27 each
be here, soaking in the spring.
The claw and bite of a mold-covered pygmy-
A narrow and slippery ledge around the spring wight saps the energy of its victim, draining
provides access to the surrounding four trails. one level of experience. Unlike other undead
Less dexterous adventurers may slip into the creatures with level drain capability, the suc-
pool if rushed or chased. The skeletal remains cessful attack of the smaller pygmy-wight al-
of a clumsy adventurer can be found at the lows for a saving throw versus Death Ray and
bottom of the pool. His gear and bones have Poison. Additionally, the first three strikes made
rapidly deteriorated in the prolonged exposure to a creature releases a cloud of yellow mold
of the intense temperature of the volcanic wa- spores (as the monster).
ter. However, his chainmail armor remains pris-
tine. The armor is magical, unaffected by the Each burial niche is lined with silver and gold
heat. The human-sized armor is chainmail +2. coins, gems, and jewelry. There is a 50%
Characters will have to make three consecu- chance for 10x1d100 sp and 5x1d20 gp, 1d20
tive Constitution saves (rolling under CON) to various gems, and 1d4 pieces of jewelry. If no
successfully swim to the pool's bottom and re- coins or gems are found, there will be one
trieve the armor. magical non-sword weapon found instead.
16
Area J: Tunnels of the Exiled Mage The above ground area (100 yards square) has
no standing structures and can be searched
Many decades ago, an Exiled Mage found for possible treasures. (Every turn the area is
the Isle and with his followers and retainers searched, there is a 10% chance a random
carved out a hidden base for his study of the potion or magical ring can be found, a limit of
dark necromantic arts. Over time. he and his one each.) Wandering zombie groups will be
followers went mad due to disease and traffic encountered in the vicinity of the ruins every
with dark forces. All that remains of their strong- three turns, consisting of 2d8 per encounter. If
hold is tumbled rocks and rotted timbers bur- the area is thoroughly searched, the zombies
ied underneath the lush jungle growth. Under- can be traced back to a nearby cave where
neath the ruins is a long-forgotten lab/burial hanging vines can be seen to have been bro-
chamber, filled with the Exiled Mage’s foulest ken and parted, leading to a larger entrance
creations and worse… and a crude set of stone steps leading down-
ward.
Zombies (Exiled Mage creations)
AC 8, HD 2, HP 10 each, #AT 1 fist, one bite, D Underground Temple Complex
1-8 fist/1-4 bite, MV 120’ (40’), Save F1, ML 12—
These unique zombies do not always attack Except as noted, there are no wandering mon-
last and turn as Wights while in the under- sters here unless the GM wishes there to be.
ground temple area. There are a few light sources—Continual Light
spells of a bluish hue had been cast at the en-
Zombies are undead humans or demi-humans trance to area J5, the chamber between are-
animated by an evil cleric or magic-user. As as J6 and J7, and the entrance to area J8—
with undead, they may be "Turned" by a cleric but otherwise it is dark throughout the cave
but are not affected by sleep or charm spells complex.
or any form of mind reading. They are often
placed to guard treasures since they make no Area J1—Entrance
noise until they attack. Zombies will always at- The moss-covered and crumbling staircase
tack on sight but can be destroyed by normal leads into a larger cave complex where a slow
weapons. NOTE: All zombies in the dark temple -moving freshwater stream bisects the cavern
area move normally and do NOT automatical- (the source is an underground lake, which may
ly strike last, so the DM must roll for initiative in be created by the DM; the stream comes out
these combats. from a cave entrance near the shore of the
Isle). It is quiet down here except for the trick-
Zombies in the above and underground area ling of the stream, the dripping of water, the
of the Dark Temple all have a particular look, scuttling of spiders or insects, and the occa-
as they were created by the Exiled Mage and sional odd whisper or dark laughter coming
the knowledge he learned from his corruption from the distance (from a trapped, desperate
by the Dark God. They have dark, wrinkled skin, dark soul). It is cool and damp. Most of the
their eyes glow with a blue light and their rock surfaces are slightly slippery with moss or
mouths are full of sharp, filed teeth (extra at- mold. The ceiling varies in height from ten to
thirty feet high throughout the cavern. The walls
tack for 1d4 along with the clubbing/claw at-
are smooth and wet, covered with moss and
tack). They move unnaturally quick for zom-
verdigris-colored ferns (-10% chance for any
bies, and thus do not always attack last (roll for
thief to climb walls). Immediately upon enter-
initiative as normal). Those that are in the un-
ing, a party or individual will be attacked by a
derground cavern are turned as Wights until
group of zombies (10) in the northeast area
the Dark Temple is destroyed.
with additional zombies lumbering down the
path by the river for the next turn (1-2 each
round) to join the battle.
17
 J12

J1
A

B J2
J11
J3

J5

J10

J4
J6

J8

J7

J9
Mad Mage’s
Temple Complex

18
Due to the presence of the dark temple in ar- Anyone touching or venturing into the webbed
ea #9, all zombies here turn as Wights, which area to search husks has a chance to be en-
will not be discovered until the first attempt is trapped (treat as a magic-user’s web spell).
made. The cleric attempting the turn will feel a The entire web can be torched but that will de-
pain in his head and his vision will grow dark for stroy anything made of paper within the sticky
one round after the turning attempt (same ef- strands and cause some of the husks to drop
fect as a Continual Darkness spell on the cleric into the river (at the DM's discretion).
only, blinding him or her). These “negative en-
ergy attacks” occur after every attempt until There are many husks still wrapped up and
the dark temple at area #9 is destroyed. Once hanging in the webs, containing creatures she
the temple is destroyed, zombies here turn nor- has captured and eaten in the caverns
mally, and any cleric will no longer be affect- (primarily catfish and frogs). However, two husks
ed by the negative energy attacks. The path are bodies of lost explorers or shipwrecked sur-
leading northeast by the river can lead to a vivors who discovered these caverns and paid
dead end, or if the GM wishes, an entire other the ultimate price. The first is a mage with rot-
complex full of underground creatures…. ted and useless items except for a backpack
that still contains 23 cp, 44 sp, two vials of holy
Area J2—Crude Kitchen water, and a scroll tube with several scrolls: De-
Crude stone steps lead upward into a small tect Magic, Invisibility, and Lightning Bolt. The
cavern, which contains barrels with rotted second husk is a thief whose Leather Armor +1
food, brackish water, rusty pots, and moldy has avoided rotting due to its magical en-
bones. The remains of a large pit fire and evi- chantments. His magical sword was dropped
dence of gnawed and chopped human into the stream and can be found by the small
bones and skulls are proof of cannibalism. All island (area J4). His rotted boot contains a se-
the items here are rusty and useless, with the cret compartment with a 100 gp ruby secret-
exception of a silver-hilted dagger +1, +2 vs ed within.
undead lying at the bottom of the fire pit, no-
table by its shiny and unmarred blade. Black Widow Spider: AC 6, HD 3*, HP 18, #AT 1
bite, D 2-12 + poison (death in one turn), MV
Area J3—Spider Nest 60 (20'), Save F2, ML 8, Can use Web like the
This raised area is the anchor point of a large Magic-user spell once per turn, XP 50
spider web that extends across the river. A
“nest” of bones, husks, and pieces of rotted
items lay strewn around the area. The spider
itself is a giant Black Widow variety and will
avoid dropping down or attacking large
groups or groups with burning torches. It will,
however, track the party around the cham-
ber—awaiting a moment when it can drop
down, poison a victim, and crawl back up the
wall to await another chance. The dark ener-
gies here have filled the Black Widow with a
dim evil cunning and she will patiently stalk
and kill the party one by one if they allow her!
Smaller humanoids (halfling or smaller) are in
danger of being picked up, bitten, and hauled
back to the ceiling to be webbed up for a fu-
ture meal.

19
Area J4—Underground Island this stream. It is 15 feet long and will take a bite
This small island contains a large statue of a out of anything trying to cross or swim in this
forgotten dark god or goddess. It was here section of water. If injured to half its hit points
long before the dark mage took over these or less, it will attempt to swim either up or
caverns as his underground lair. The statue is downstream to escape battle.
carved of a foreign black stone that makes the
statue look unnaturally new and little worn by Giant Catfish: AC 4, HD 8+3, HP 40, #AT 1
the elements. The statue’s subject will be un- bite, 4 tentacles, D 2-16 / 1-4 x4, MV 90 (30'),
known by anyone except for the most knowl- Save F4, ML 8, XP 650
edgeable of clerics (roll under WIS on d20) who
will recognize the figure as a long-forgotten The chamber across the stream is well lit by a
deity of darkness and insanity. In truth, after this Continual Light spell, but it is not the usual Con-
statue was discovered by the dark mage, he tinual Light spell. Cast by priests of a dark god,
began to hear whisperings in the night and it is more like a smoky-blue light that causes
slowly descended into madness. This resulted wavering at the edges of vision. These lights
in his building an evil temple and degenerat- can be dispelled with Dispel Magic or de-
ing into cannibalism, demon worship, and in- stroyed with a Continual Light spell cast upon
sanity…taking his followers with him. them. Their odd shadows make all combat
within the area at -2 to hit. The light shines out
If the stone is cleaned off, faint words can be of a rock partially sunken in the sand at the
found written at the base, understandable only base of the crude stone steps. The two rooms
with a Read Languages spell: “The Quiet Dark- here are newer than the caverns in the western
ness, The Delicious Flesh”. After translating, the area, as they were constructed by the Exiled
person who reads the lines will began to expe- Mage's minions to further his “research” in a
rience nightmares and whisperings urging more private setting than the stronghold on the
them to indulge in cannibalism and worship of surface.
the dark god. Only a Remove Curse spell will
have any effect on this; the DM can take this in Area J6—Alchemy Chamber
any direction they wish if a Remove Curse spell The chamber outside this room has two stat-
is not cast. ues, one on either side of the western stone
door. While one is a harmless carved bone
In the waters by the small island is the sword of and wood construct, the other is a deadly
the dead thief from area J3. It came to rest Bone Golem holding stone warhammers. Its
here years ago and has had sediment pile up instructions are to attack anyone attempting to
around it. Anyone specifically saying they are open the stone door to the room behind it. It
searching the shoreline will see a carved hawk can be destroyed—or fled from—as it will not
bone hilt sticking out a couple of inches above pursue anyone past the stream to the west. If
the muck. Upon its release, the character will characters manage to destroy the golem or
be in possession of the short sword “Griffon get past it, they will find that the door is locked.
Slayer”. This +1 blade (+2 vs. winged crea- It can be opened with a Knock spell, lockpick,
tures) also allows the bearer the power of flight or the keys hidden in the altar at area J9. The
once a day for a turn (as the magic-user spell
door cannot be destroyed without maximum
Fly). effort, tools such as sledgehammers, and lots
of time. Likewise, the door to the south is simi-
Area J5—Crossing the Stream
larly locked but instead of a guardian, it is pro-
The stream is easily crossed here, as the waters
tected by a curse. Anyone picking or breaking
are neither swift flowing nor too deep (3-4 feet
the lock will have one of the ill effects (from Ta-
at the deepest). However, the stream is inhab-
ble 7) befall them (a Knock spell will not acti-
ited by a Giant Catfish that manages to eat
vate the curse).
anything else that swims in or comes to drink in
20
 Curse Table (Area J6 Door)
1d4 Roll Result Details of Curse
1 All cure spells have no effect on the victim for 24 hours
2 On the next successful attack in battle, the victim's weapon breaks (magical weapons get a 50%
chance to resist this effect)
3 All the food and water upon the character for the next 24 hours immediately rots or turns rancid. This
includes holy water and potions
4 The victim is affected by Cause Disease spell with an accelerated effect (death in 2-24 hours, not 2-
24 days)
A Remove Curse spell will successfully take the ill effects away.

Table 7

Inside the chamber is a research lab for the Once triggered, they begin crawling and
dark mage. Tables contain a variety of tubes, scrabbling through the loose sand, attacking
glass, beakers, alchemical supplies, and rot- any living creature they see. It will take them a
ted books. Although his main laboratory was in full round to fully exit their shallow graves—
the now-ruined upper level, this room still has enough time for the party to attack or a cleric
quite a bit of equipment covering the tables to attempt to turn them. The baleful blue Con-
and shelves. Unfortunately, most is rotted or tinual Light is here also, cast on four separate
broken. Over 100 books, most now swollen stone pillars.
and rotted from moisture, fill the shelves. Care-
ful searching or casting a Detect Magic will re- The stone door here is locked, but can be
veal that one of the books is a spell book (the picked or opened with a key found in the Dark
Dark Mage’s backup spellbook), Although rot- Temple at #9. Inside is another laboratory, but
ted, a few pages survive. These contain the one with a darker purpose. Here the Exiled
spells Sleep, Ventriloquism, and Water Breath- Mage continued his experiments into the unliv-
ing. There is also a scroll of the spell Dispel ing that led to his exile from civilization, as well
Magic tucked into another book on the shelf. as his slow descent into madness with the dis-
covery of the Dark God’s statue and temple.
Careful searchers will discover a few valuable Ancient bloodstains and mummified body
items among the debris: a potion of Healing, parts are scattered around the room. Tables
another of Poison, and one of Gaseous Form. have dissected bodies—mostly now just skele-
There are also a few small diamonds, the tips tal remains—covering every surface along with
of cutting tools, 1d4+1 of these can be found now-rusty scalpels, chisels, and saws. Most dis-
and are worth 100 gp each. turbing is the fact that many of the bones fea-
ture marks as if they were gnawed upon. The
Bone Golem: AC 2, HD 8, HP 48, #AT 4 weap- walls are covered with scribbling made in
ons, D 1-6, MV 120 (40'), Save F4, ML 12, im- blood—incomprehensible even with a Read
mune to Sleep, charm, hold, gases, fire, cold, Languages spell—as they were made by a dis-
and electricity, immune to non-magical at- eased mind.
tacks, XP: 650
In one corner is a giant (6-foot diameter) iron
Area J7—Laboratory pot with a sticky tar residue covering the interi-
The large open area between here and area or. It was here the Exiled Mage “cooked” the
J6 is trapped…11 zombies are buried in the bodies of explorers, shipwrecked sailors, na-
exact center of the open area, a foot or so tives, and his own followers to create the zom-
below the soft ground. They will not emerge bies that infest these lower caverns. Touching
from hiding until the door to area J7 is opened. or ingesting this substance causes a save vs.
21
Poison—failure means a swift paralysis that lasts A mural painted with blood-red river clay on
for a period of 4d6 hours. The person poisoned the south wall depicts the same image as the
can see and hear everything but is unable to statue of the Dark God in area J4, with two
move or speak. Many of the ingredients of this blue gems for eyes (500 gp each). The vision
evil brew are still scattered around the room, of the dark god is disturbing and nightmarish in
now dried and unusable. The only thing of val- a way that is difficult to describe, leading to
ue within this room is a ruby ring that fell off a unpleasant thoughts and images. (Sleep is dis-
body. It now lies in a corner under a mound of turbed for all entering the room. They are una-
bones (150 gp). ble to heal by resting for the next 2-7 days.)

Area J8—Entrance to the Dark Temple A small stone table on the west side contains a
The stone stairway leads up to a small ante- gold plate (100gp), with a stone knife, chisel,
chamber, and one of the blue Continual Light spoon, and axe—all worn and well-used in
spells dimly lights this area. The glow reveals a their work of beheading a victim (ancient
small stone pedestal and a small group of 6 bloodstains cover the tools) before his or her
zombies that will attack anyone trying to enter brain was devoured. The stone table to the
the chamber. On the pedestal is a basin of east contains an empty stone basin, melted
dark, rancid water that has the same effect as candles, and a few glass containers with dried-
Death Poison if ingested or touched. A small up paints. The altar itself is a huge stone affair
passageway to the southwest leads to a nar- with grooves in the side, leading to gold basins
row strip of beach. The beach is full of bones at the bottom to catch the sacrifice’s blood
and skulls from past sacrificial victims. Poking (two stained basins are here, worth 200 gp
through these remains can uncover the follow- each). A secret compartment at the back of
ing treasure: 2 gold earrings worth 100 gp the altar holds several stone keys (to areas J6,
each, a tarnished silver bracelet worth 150 gp, J7, and J12); a sacrificial dagger (+1, casts
a platinum necklace worth 300 gp, and assort- Continual Darkness once daily as the spell);
ed small gemstones (32 10-gp, 17 25-gp, and Potions of Human Control, ESP, and Invisibility;
4 100-gp gems). A bright light source will be and an assortment of jewelry taken from vic-
needed to find these treasures and it will take tims after they were sacrificed (assume this
a full hour to carefully search the bony beach. sack contains 1,000 gp of mixed rings, ear-
rings, necklaces, and bracelets).
Area J9—Dark Temple
Opening the stone door here leads to the Dark Touching a particular stone in the east wall
Temple. There is a bright bluish glow that is causes part of the wall to slide aside, leading
centered above the sacrificial altar at the to a small secret stairway going down to the
south end of the room. The light causes the bony beach.
white marble floor and obsidian pillars to pul-
sate with an unearthly brightness. Along the Destroying the blue glowing light, the mural, or
walls of the temple stand 10 zombies, five on cleansing the area of evil (the DM should allow
each side. Within the baleful blue light these the party to describe these actions, but can
zombies are resistant to being turned and fight be as simple as pouring holy water on the al-
with a ferocity born of a closeness to the
tar, destroying the sacrificial blade and basins,
source of their evil (+2 to hit and damage).
or pouring oil inside and lighting the entire
They attack anyone entering the sanctum, but
room on fire) causes the zombies to lose all
do not go outside this temple. If the light is de-
their extra powers (being turned as Wights, their
stroyed (with either a Dispel Magic or Continual
faster movement, and extra bite attack) and
Light cast on the glow) the zombies lose their
become “normal” zombies.
added powers and can be destroyed or
turned by a cleric.

22
Area J10—Watcher of the Dead ment (DMs can decide how long to get inside
Atop this ledge sits the watcher of the tombs to based on which implements the players have.
the north, a Guardian Serpent (see details be- It is recommended each tomb take several
low). This three-headed giant stone snake is 30 hours to break into). Any attempt to break in-
feet long and appears to be a well carved side either of the first two tombs causes skele-
statue of black marble with pieces of blue az- tons stacked inside the last five tombs to come
urite for eyes. The job of guarding the entrance to life, leave their graves, and try to put a stop
to the tombs has kept it here, immobile, for to the noise disturbing their slumber. There are
many years. After being activated the first a dozen skeletons per tomb, which means sixty
time, the Exiled Mage ordered his followers to in all, but—unlike the zombies—they have no
search the tombs. The Exiled Mage realized special powers and can be turned or battled
after losing many men trying to enter J11 that like “normal” skeletons. The wave of bony warri-
the construct could be circumvented by vari- ors might be overwhelming for even a higher-
ous means (gaseous form and diminution be- level party, but they will not pursue adventurers
ing two of them) and thus he himself explored past the steps and the entrance to the tomb
areas J11 and J12 without facing death. The area. There is nothing except for broken pottery
orders of the Guardian Serpent are to allow no and rocks inside these five barrows.
man-sized living creature to enter the tomb
area. If it observes this happening, it will go on
the attack, slithering down the stairs to the Tombs A and B contain remains of past priests
south to circle around and attack until it or the of the Dark God. Each has a Continual Dark-
interlopers are destroyed. The Serpent will pur- ness spell cast within, which will have to be dis-
sue anyone entering the entrance to #11, cor- pelled or countered before exploration can
nering them in the narrow catacomb to de- take place. Both tombs look remarkably simi-
stroy them, or chasing them out if they choose lar, containing obsidian chunks of rock with the
not to face its wrath. When finished (all invaders mummified remains of the priests wrapped
of the tomb are dead or have left the area), it and preserved upon the slabs. Neither corpse
will return to its position at the top of the plat- is alive, but the feeling of gloom and evil within
eau, until again activated by someone enter- these areas will cause even the most sea-
ing or leaving the tomb area. soned explorer to pause. As part of the burial
procedure, both corpses have had the top of
Guardian Serpent: AC 0, HD 10**, HP 55, #AT their heads cut off and the brain removed (this
3, D 1-12/1-12/1-12, MV 90 (30'), Save F8, ML was consumed by those participating in the
12, immune to Sleep, charm, hold, gases, and ceremony). The organs were also removed
non-magical attacks, XP: 2,300 and placed in a blood-filled clay urn (present)
while their favorite weapon placed at the
Area J11—Tombs head of the obsidian slab. There is a Staff of
The entrance to the tomb area is covered with Striking (20 charges) in the first tomb and a
bones, most of them crushed or broken. A set Staff of Withering (16 charges) in the second.
of steps leading up brings the characters to a No other treasure or wealth was placed in ei-
curved hallway that smells of mold, damp- ther sealed vault.
ness, and ancient dead. Except for the Exiled
Mage, no creature has trespassed here in hun-
dreds of years. The first two tombs contain a
large stone door with no visible operation. In-
deed, these two tombs must be broken into
using tools like hammers, chisels, and sledges
as they have been sealed using a crude ce-

23
Area J12—Tomb of the Mad Mage mummy who was once the Exiled Mage is de-
The unsealed vault contains the remains of the stroyed his person can be searched. Besides
Exiled Mage. After building his stronghold on the magical ring and cloak, he also has a
the place of power holding the Dark Temple, Wand of Fear tucked into his belt (29 charges),
he fell under the spell of the Dark God and is wearing a gold medallion (non-magical, but
grew more and more evil and insane, degen- studded with diamonds and worth 5,000 gp),
erating into cannibalism and madness. The and has two potions inside his pouch (both are
dark rituals he learned from the whispers in the Diminution, which he used to bypass the
dark led him to raising numerous zombies, Guardian Serpent at the entrance). The only
most of them once his followers. He was even- other bit of treasure to be found here is his per-
tually poisoned by a once loyal follower, but sonal notebook, which the DM can construct
managed to make his way here before expir- to interest the party in further explorations of the
ing. Isle…Filled with lurid and disturbing tales from
the time the Exiled Mage discovered the Dark
The elaborate lock on this tomb was bypassed Temple, it also has several clues and maps to
by a Knock spell, so the huge stone door other caches of treasure the mage scattered
stands open a foot or two. It can be entered around the Isle, waiting to be discovered!
normally (it was never completely sealed like
the first two tombs were). Those who wish to Mage-Mummy: AC 3, HD 5+1**, HP 26, #AT 1
enter, however, must make a save vs Fear or touch, D 1-12 + disease, MV 60 (20'), Save F4,
are penalized -2 to hit and attack while in the ML 12, immune to non-magical attacks, all
area. Once inside, the then-insane Exiled other damage at half; Spells as a 7th level
Mage forced his body across the floor, Magic-user, XP: 1,000
crawled atop the obsidian slab, and expired.
His splayed, decimated body can be found
atop the slab, still wearing his Displacer Cloak
and Ring of Fire Resistance. The forces of dark-
ness have somehow corrupted him so fully he
is now a Mummy, one who will rise to attack
those who enter “his” final resting place. Pow-
ered by magical energy even after the Dark
Temple is destroyed, he will battle ferociously
to protect his final resting place, pursuing in-
truders anywhere in the underground cavern
area.

The two stone poles inside the entrance glow

blue with the same murky Continual Light spell
in the other areas of the tomb. If they are dis-
Area K. Volcano Caves
pelled or destroyed, the fear effect is dissipat-
ed and the room can be entered normally.
The northern trail winds around clusters of hard-
This is much like the other two tombs, with a
ened lava made by previous eruptions from
stone pot filled with dried blood and organs of
the lone mountain of the isle. Much of the jun-
the original priest and his favorite weapon (a
gle thins out around the solitary peak, the veg-
Mace +1 that drains life energy, 6 levels re-
etation having been burned and destroyed
main to be drained before it becomes a nor-
multiple times over several decades of lava
mal Mace+1) lying on the floor beside the
flows. The volcano has not erupted for some
slab near the discarded body. When or if the
time and is overdue to release its pressurized
heat and magma.
24
A large cave opening on the south side of the 1d4 Great White Sharks: AC 4, HD 8, HP 36
lone mountain leads to several molten-rock each, #AT 1 bite, D 2-20, MV 180 (60'), Save
tunnels that wind throughout the interior. Even- F4, ML 7, XP 650 each
tually, the tunnels lead to the center of the vol-
cano where a great chamber and ledge over- The ruins of a small pirate ship lie amongst the
look the conduit pipe and magma chamber hidden rocks off the northern shore of the isle.
far below. The heat is intense here – those Nearly a dozen skeletal remains of trapped pi-
wearing metal armor will begin to take 1 hp of rates lie on the rocks, dead from starvation or
damage each round after the number of heat stroke. Much of the contents of the ship's
rounds equivalent to their Constitution score. hull were lost to the bottom of the sea during
Prolonged exposure will eventually result in de- the wreck, but a single, large chest remains
hydration, heat exhaustion, and possibly lodged between the hull boards and a pro-
death. truding rock. The shiny brass bands of the chest
reflect the sun's rays and are visible from sever-
Two Fire Elementals dance along the edges of al hundred feet. The unlocked chest contains
the conduit pipe below the ledge and will rise
a set of priestly garments—a white robe and
to face intruders within 1d6 rounds. They dislike
tall hat, both made from silk and inlaid with
being bothered by mortals and will attack if
several hundred tiny rubies, lies neatly folded
the trespassers fail to leave quickly.
under a golden rod. The rod is encrusted with
several dozen large rubies and is magical.
2 Fire Elementals: AC 0, HD 12, HP 54 each,
Once per day, the rod may be placed upon
#AT 1 fiery blow, D 2-16, MV 120 (40'), Save
any injury, healing it as a Cure Serious Wounds
F12, ML 10, XP 1,100 each
spell would. Several pockets are found within
Area L. Shark Beach the robe—there is a 5% chance that a small
ruby (value 50 gp) will magically appear in one
The trail opens onto a white, sandy beach with of the robe pockets each day.
little vegetation along the edge of the isle.
Three skeletons, lying face down and facing Area M. Quiet Beach
the jungle, are bleached white from the heat
of the sun and strong wind whipping around The trail that Cortezzo and Anna used to es-
the northern point of the small land mass. A cape the island ends in a narrow strip of de-
few dozen silver and gold coins may be found serted beach. Mangrove trees and bunches of
in the sand around the remains, along with a tall grass blend with the jungle, nearly making
few rusty weapons. the beach invisible from further up the trail.
Several sunken rowboats lie in the shallows be-
A shipwreck lies amidst several low-lying rocks yond the sand, destroyed by Cortezzo before
a few hundred feet off the shore. A broken he and his lover fled the isle. However, a single
mast with tattered sails leans to one side and a boat was missed—an undamaged rowboat
gaping hole in the hull exposes part of the inte- with four oars is caught up in the mangrove
rior of a ship that ran aground. Occasionally, roots, found on a successful search of the ar-
the glint of metal shines from within the hull of ea.
the damaged ship.
A smaller island, nearly a mile west, can be
Any who swim out to the to the cluster of sharp seen from the beach. Adventurers with a
rocks will encounter a frenzy of Great White strong eye may see the single tree at the is-
Sharks who make this area their preferred hunt- land's center, towering above the rest.
ing ground. Swimmers will find themselves
trapped by 1d4 hungry sharks who circle a sin-
gle prey, likely one who may already be in-
jured and/or bleeding.
25
Chapter Three: An Island Made for Two Area A: Beach Landing
The small island to the west of the Forbidden
Isle is known to a few as the Cursed Tree Island. The nearest beach within view of the Forbid-
A small land mass, roughly a quarter of the size den Isle, this area is an obvious landing spot for
of the Forbidden Isle, is just as thick with jungle any arriving from the east. Adventurers should
as any of the tiny islands in the Sea of Dread. easily find the tracks of Cortezzo and Anna in
What makes this island different, is the single, the sand near the solitary jungle trail. Addition-
massive tree at its center. This tree, a different ally, the concealed rowboat can be found ra-
species than any other tropical tree on the is- ther quickly, stashed in the tall weeds at the
land, towers above all others by nearly double. edge of the small beach.

Island tribes avoid the island, primarily be- Lawful adventurers will sense the presence of
cause of its rich legend of curses and death. evil immediately after they set foot on the is-
Rarely have hunters or explorers stayed longer land. Neutral characters will not feel similarly
than a few nights on the island, claiming to until they are within a few hundred feet of the
hear the moans of dying humans and animals encampment (Area F). The feeling of dread
and seeing ghostly images flitting between the and wickedness continues to intensify as char-
jungle boles. The deserted village encamp- acters near the great tree at the center of the
ment around the giant tree at the island's cen- island. Chaotic characters will feel none of the
ter appears welcoming at first but slowly trans- same feelings as other-aligned characters.
forms into a shadowed, frightful place after a
few nights. The camp is deemed too evil for Ghostly apparitions will be glimpsed flitting
use and is left abandoned and untouched by from tree to tree, climbing vines, or disappear-
island tribals. ing into thick vegetation. At first, these shadowy
appearances are seen infrequently but by the
A New Home for the Lovers second full day of being on the island, the
events will occur almost hourly. Brave adven-
After stashing the small boat in the tall grasses turers that stay on the island will begin seeing
along the jungle edge, Cortezzo and Anna fol- these ghostly visages all day and night, even
lowed the only trail they could find, a worn and spotting them in their dreams.
little used footpath. The trail led the pair to the
center of the island and to the base of the Hallucinations and Issues on Cursed Tree Isle
great tree in the middle of an abandoned en- Days Present Results
campment. The lovers finally have found a se- 2-3 Fearful, lack of sleep (-1 to saving throws),
cluded place away from those seeking to dis- a strong desire to leave the island
rupt their relationship and tear them apart. 4-5 Suspicious of others, jealousy, extremely
irritable, little to no sleep (-1 to actions)
However, they have yet to realize that they are
6-7 Angry, hateful, easy to provoke, align-
in greater danger than ever before. The island ment shifts (L to N or N to C)
is haunted by ghostly spirits that will slowly drive
8+ Will attack any living creature nearby,
them insane with fear. An evil spirit living within must make daily saving throws (roll under
the roots of the great tree will instill its wicked- Wisdom) to avoid going insane
ness within the hearts of the two lovers, eventu-
“Cured” by leaving the island.
ally leading them to murder or suicide.
Table 8

26
 Cursed Tree Isle—Wandering Monsters
1d100 Roll Result “Wandering” Monster # Encountered Basic Statistics
01 Green Dragon 1 AC1 HD 8** HP 40 MV 90/240 AT 3 or breath
02-03 Giant Snake 1 AC6 HD 5 HP 25 MV 90 AT 1 D 1-4 + constr
04-05 Quicksand 1 Dexterity save fail, drown in 1d6 rounds
06-07 Jungle Pit 1 Check versus Traps, take 1d6+1 damage
08-09 Jungle Cats 1d2 AC 4 HD 4 HP 20 MV 210 AT 3 D 1-4/1-4/1-8
10-13 Jungle Boars 1d6 AC7 HD 3 HP 15 MV 150 AT 1 D 2-8
14-17 Root Spiders 1d6 AC4 HD 1+1 HP 6 MV 60 AT 1 D 1-4 + venom
18-20 Exploring Pirates 1d4 AC7 HD 2 HP 10 MV 120 AT 1 D weapon

Table 9

Area B: Burial Pillar weapon provides a bonus to attacks and

damage (much like a dagger +1) but leaves
Far from the few remaining trails, the forgotten a wound that will not heal naturally. Only heal-
burial site of a great island chieftain has lain ing spells and potions can heal damage
unmolested for nearly a century. The tip of a caused by this dangerous weapon.
great pillar marking the site rises above the jun-
gle forest line and may be seen from any of Areas C, D, E: Small Beaches
the four beaches of the island. Getting to the
site is challenging – a new trail to the location Each of the three beaches are small and
must be forged with dozens of hours of axe nearly undetectable unless passed by within
and blade work. Wandering monsters of the twenty feet. The trails leading from the beach-
jungle island will indeed be interested in the es to the center compound are old, over-
commotion made by adventurers hacking grown and often perilous with quicksand, sink-
their way through thick vegetation. holes or dangerous denizens of the island.

An unmarked pillar leans slightly to one side, its Area F: Great Tree Compound
base in the soft ground shifting over the years.
The base of the pillar is nearly fifteen feet wide All trails end in the center of the island, termi-
nating in a great clearing below a massive
and is buried ten feet deep. The pillar rises well
tree. The great tree is nearly thirty feet in diam-
over fifty feet in total. How a single piece of
eter and is of a species not found in this re-
stone of this size and weight was brought to this
gion. Towering over one-hundred and fifty feet
place and set on one end is a mystery.
in the air, the sight of the massive tree is
breathtaking.
The adventurers will find a stone tomb under
ten feet of loose soil at the base of the pillar.
Ten-foot high wooden walls supported by thick
When opened, the tomb will reveal mostly dust
boles surround the encampment, providing
and fragments of bone. Remnants of cloth great protection from jungle creatures and en-
and wooden jewelry can be seen amidst the emies. Three gates in the walls provide access
decayed remains. However, a silver bracelet into the camp. A clear spring of cool water is
and a strange, golden dagger appear untar- also found in the clearing outside the walls of
nished by time. The silver bracelet is a Bracelet the encampment. Creatures of the jungle trav-
of Protection from Spells. When worn, it pro- el to this only source of water on the island. Lin-
tects from unwanted spell effects by giving a gering too long here, adventurers will encoun-
+1 to Spell saving throws. The dagger is silver ter plenty of creatures desperate to get a drink
(but painted gold) and is three-sided. The of water.
27
Area F1: Inner Compound

Four huts are found within the fortified en-

campment, each filled with simple furnishings
to support twelve to eighteen people. Alt-
hough old and dirty, the furnishings are well-
made and suitable for use. The camp has the
appearance of a village that was quickly
abandoned – clay pots contain spoiled liquids
and tables are covered with wooden dishes of
rotted food. A search of the compound may
yield a few pieces of ornate jewelry.

The footprints of Cortezzo and Anna are found

throughout the camp but can be traced most
recently to the stairs at the bottom of the great
tree.

Area F2: The Great Tree

Decisions, Decisions
Stairs have been carved in the tree, starting at
the bottom and leading up into the leafy veg- The characters are presented with four viable
etation above. Several landings in the tree options: 1) to take Anna and Cortezzo back to
branches provide additional living quarters for New Tradertown, 2) take the swashbuckler's
camp villagers. Ten more beds and plenty of payment and leave the pair to live out their
chairs and tables are found in eight separate days on the island, 3) refuse the swashbuckler's
landings. A series of rope bridges and ladders payment but leave the pair to live out their
provide access between landings. days on the island, or 4) to confiscate Cor-
tezzo's treasure and return the pair for the re-
When characters arrive in the camp, the ward. Of course, only despicable characters
swashbuckler and his lady will be descending would act on option four. If the adventurers
the stairs and will stop when they see the char- decide to leave the pair here, the GM may
acters. Seeing that they are outnumbered, end the adventure at this point. However, the
Cortezzo will try to negotiate with the group. He story can be extended by adding the “Ensuring
will offer more than what Anna's husband has Anna's Return” optional ending to the adven-
offered for characters to leave the two in ture.
peace on the island. He has a small chest of
gold, silver, gems, and jewelry that he will trade Cortezzo and Anna, at first hopeful that this is-
for their lives. The total value of the contents of land would be the end of their flight, will begin
the chest is 20,000 gp. to feel the evil presence below the tree and
within the camp. They may ask the characters
Anna will plead with the characters to lie to her to investigate the area further, afraid to do so
husband, to tell him that they found her dead themselves.
and that they killed Cortezzo. She will explain
that she was mistreated by her terrible hus-
band and that he never loved her but only
used her as a pawn in the political games of
the region. She can display several scars and
old bruises that hint to the sinister behaviors of
her malicious husband as proof if need be.
28
Ensuring Anna’s Return halflings to stoop or crawl to pass through.
Most of the tunnels terminate in small empty
To ensure his wife's return, Orgo d'Lannatta chambers where ancient pots of clay hold wa-
hired a second set of bounty hunters to track ter or minerals that are used to feed the great
the characters as they search for the lovers. spirit of the tree. At least a dozen Root Spiders
Their orders are to kill the characters and Cor- move about the tunnels, busy collecting nutri-
tezzo before returning Anna to her husband ents for their master. At the first sound of battle,
safely. The best time to move the bounty hunt- the remaining spiders will arrive to assist in driv-
ers into the adventure is when the characters ing out intruders. Each root spider's bite injects
confront Cortezzo and Anna in the island en- a slowing venom – each successful bite penal-
campment. The bounty hunters are all Chaotic izes the victim's initiative by 1.
and will not think twice of mercilessly killing all
the characters (see Table 10 below). 12+ Root Spiders: AC 4, HD 1+1, HP 6 each,
#AT 1 bite + venom, D 1-4, MV 60 (20'), Save
The GM should hint (likely with comments F1, ML 12, XP 15 each
made by the bounty hunters) that Anna's hus-
band was never really going to pay the adven- The Great, Evil Spirit of the Tree
turers for their work, planning all along to dou-
ble-cross them. This should help the characters An evil Druid was penalized for her crimes
realize that Anna has been telling the truth against nature, a rival goddess binding her to
about her untrustworthy and ruthless husband. the roots of a great tree on a remote island.
Cursed to remain bound to the tree for all eter-
Under the Great Tree nity, the spirit's hatred and evil heart slowly cor-
rupted the island's creatures, vegetation and
A secret door is found under the stairs at the water supply. Victims of her corruption now
base of the great tree, leading to a spiraling roam the island as ghostly apparitions, bent on
staircase into the earth. At the bottom of the driving intruders mad. They cannot be harmed
stairs, several “root” tunnels head in different but are ever-present, continually seeking new
directions. Each short tunnel requires all but prey to haunt and torment.

“Evil” Bounty Hunters

Name Class AC Level HP S-I-W-D-C-Ch Details
Fornazzi * F 3 5 30 15-11-12-13-15-15 sword +2, chainmail +1, Potion of Heroism
Burk F 5 6 25 17-8-9-11-12-11 Mace +1, chainmail, (3) Potions of Healing
Yurk F 5 5 20 13-9-9-15-13-12 Sword, short bow +1, 40 arrows, leather armor +1
Giggly Pete T 5 6 24 11-11-11-16-12-15 Dagger +1, short bow +2, 20 arrows, leather armor,
Bag of Holding **
Merkel T 5 6 23 12-9-13-17-11-14 Spear +1, dagger +1, leather armor, Potion of Gas-
eous Form
Kenothan MU 8 4 12 9-17-13-13-9-13 Staff of Snakes (3 ch), Wand of Secret Door Detec-
tion (9 ch) spell book, spells: Darkness, Magic Missile,
Invisibility, Mirror Image
Brother Grell C 1 5 20 13-11-16-13-12-17 Mace +1, (2) Scrolls of Healing, plate mail, shield,
spells: Cause Light Wounds, Cure Light Wounds,
Bless, Hold Person
* Leader of group, ** Bag of Holding holds the group’s treasure (Treasure Type E)
Table 10
29
The evil spirit of the tree is one with the root sys- Adventure Conclusion
tem and is no longer a separate entity. Howev-
er, its enlarged heart is suspended by hun- If the evil tree spirit is destroyed, and Cortezzo
dreds of small roots in the central chamber far and Anna are left on the island, they will enjoy
below the tree. Three successful strikes will de- a long life together in peace. The characters
stroy the corrupted organ, finally ridding the will always be welcome to visit, even stay for
island of its evil and curse. However, any at- short periods in the encampment, if traveling in
tacker that inflicts pain to the evil spirit's heart this part of the Sea of Dread. Other good-
may be affected by their action—see Table 11 natured folks may come to live with Cortezzo
below for potential effects. and Anna, growing the size of the village over
time.
When the blackened heart is finally destroyed,
it will burst into a hundred tiny fragments. Each However, if the tree spirit is not dealt with, Cor-
of these fragments will be found to be an un- tezzo and Anna will likely kill each other or
cut onyx gem worth 25 gp each. Once the evil themselves after a week or two. Adventurers
druid spirit has been slain, the presence of evil returning to the island will find nothing but their
will disappear, returning the island to normal remains and the still-present oppressive evil of
once again. the cursed druid.

Cursed Tree Spirit Afflictions With the main plots of the story uncovered and
L N C Effects revealed, and depending on the outcome of
the optional bounty hunter encounter, the
1 1-2 1-3 Evilness transfers to character’s
heart, takes 1d4 months
characters may have new tasks ahead of
them. Should they search out Orgo d'Lannatta
2 3-4 4-6 Permanently reduces Charisma
and bring him to justice in some way? Should
by one half (round up)
they explore more of the islands in the region?
3 5-6 7-9 Permanently loses 1 level Should they leave the sea and return to dry
4 7-8 10-12 Takes half their full hit points in land again, preferring to delve into dungeons
damage (no saving throw) and ruins? There are plenty of options for the
5 9-10 13-15 Suffers a penalty of –2 to all ac- curious adventurer in the Sea of Dread!
tions for 7 days
6 11-12 16-18 Is tasked with a quest from an Credits:
evil god
7 13-14 19-20 Takes 1d10 hit points in damage Author, Dead Men Tell New Tales: Thom Wilson
Author, Lair of the White Apes and Exiled Mad
8 15-16 n/a Gains a temporary bonus of 1 to
Mage: Mike Badolato
the Constitution for 7 days
9 17-18 n/a Is tasked with a quest from a Editors: Michael J. Gross, III, Thom Wilson
good god
10 19-20 n/a Gains 1d10 hit points to their Front Cover Illustration: Matthew Ray
maximum (permanent)
Back Cover Illustration: Mark Lyons
11-18 n/a n/a Permanently gains 1 point to a
random attribute score
Interior Illustrations: Dean Spencer Art, the
19-20 n/a n/a Instantly gains one level of expe- Forge Studios
rience
Roll 1d20 and use the score by alignment Cartography: MonkeyBlood Design (all but
page 18), Dyson Logos (page 18)
Table 11
ThrowiGames and North Texas RPGCon make no claims of ownership
Humble Bundle Edition, September 2019 to products and IP owned by TSR and Wizards of the Coast.

30
 Additional Player and non-Player Characters
Use this page to list characters and non-player characters for this adventure. Use the Special col-
umn to note interesting details about each character or non-player character (spells, magical
items, etc.) and the Place column to indicate where the characters or non-player characters may
be found (or first encountered).
Characters / Non-Player Characters
Name Class/ Level AC HP Str Int Wis Dex Con Cha Personality Special Place
Profession

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