Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

OFFICIAL GAME ADVENTURE

Adventure for 6-8 Characters, Levels 8-10

NEEDLE
by Frank Mentzer
CREDITS
Development: Frank Mentzer
Editor: Barbara Young
Cover Art: Clyde Caldwell
Interior Art: Doug Chaffee
Cartography: David C. Sutherland III
Typography: Betty Elmore and Kim Lindau
Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc. and in
Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by
regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION, and the TSR logo
are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
� Copyright 1987 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This product is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.
Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained
herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc. FOB 756 Lake Geneva, Wl 53147
TSR UK Ltd. The Mill, Rathmore Road Cambridge CB14AD United Kingdom

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Notes for the Dungeon
Master ............................................................................
..... 2
Native
Life ..............................................................................
.................................... 3
Non-Player
Characters ........................................................................
..................... 6
New and Adapted
Monsters ..........................................................................
............ 8
Part 1 - Ruins of
Empire ............................................................................
................. 10
Players'
Background ........................................................................
.......................... 10
Pre-Start: Saving Throw
Results ...........................................................................
.... 10
Trail Encounter
Key ...............................................................................
..................... 10
Ruins Encounter
Key ...............................................................................
.................. 14
Part 2 -
Retrieval .........................................................................
............................... 27
Players'
Background ........................................................................
........................... 29
Sequence of
Events ............................................................................
....................... 29
Events
Key ...............................................................................
................................... 29
Part 3 - The Powers That
Be ................................................................................
..... 37
The Tunnels of
Tatz ..............................................................................
...................... 38
Encounter
Key ...............................................................................
............................. 38
The Tunnels of the Black
Chak ..............................................................................
... 42
Wandering
Monsters ..........................................................................
....................... 42
Digger and
Montana ...........................................................................
........................ 42
Encounter
Key ...............................................................................
............................. 42
Playing Aids
Players' Reference Sheet for Part
2 ......................................................................... 22
Players' Reference Sheet for Part
3 ......................................................................... 25
Delusions and
Messages ..........................................................................
................. 11
Character
Cards .............................................................................
............................ Inner Cover
Monster Statistics
Chart .............................................................................
................ Inside Gatefold
Character Summary
Chart .............................................................................
............ Outside Gatefold
Magic Item Summary
Chart .............................................................................
........... Outside Gatefold
Maps
DMs Jungle
Map ...............................................................................
.......................... Inside Front Cover
Players' Jungle
Map ...............................................................................
.................... 23
DM's Maze
Map ...............................................................................
........................... Inside Back Cover
Players' Maze
Map ...............................................................................
...................... 21
Detail Map-Encounter
A3 ................................................................................
........... Inside Front Cover
DM's map, Tunnels of the Black
Chak ....................................................................... Inside
Back Cover
Players' map, Tunnels of the Black
Chak .................................................................. 24

NOTES FOR THE DUNGEON MASTER

Adventure Background
In answer to a notice posted in their guild hall, the player characters volunteer
for a special mission for their king. The royal ears have heard rumors of a great
magical device, an obelisk, located in a far land. It supposedly lies amidst the
ruins of a once-great empire, now a dense jungle. The king wants more information
about this rumored empire and the obelisk, if it exists.
In Part 1, "Ruins of Empire," the PCs sail to the far jungle. There they encounter
odd jungle creatures, meet the local natives, and find the ruins of a lost
civilization. The obelisk is located, still in perfect condition and protected by a
force field. It stands amidst a large maze, also protected by the force field. To
gather more information, the adventurers penetrate the maze, evade its deadly
traps, and solve its puzzles. In the center of the maze, they find the controls for
the force field and more clues to the ancient empire. The PCs sail home with the
good news.
In Part 2, "Retrieval," the king orders the party to return to the jungle to
retrieve the obelisk, following an elaborate plan which his advisors have prepared
for this monumental task. A crew of over 150 men is dispatched in three ships under
the PCs' direction. They are to lift the one million pound obelisk, drag it to the
shore, and tow it home by ship.
But disease and jungle creatures threaten the mission's success. The local natives
are restless. Some believe the Needle (as they call the obelisk) to be sacred and
object to its removal. Two of these native tribes are ancient enemies, and both
sides ask the PCs for aid. The obelisk-moving operation is completed just in time.
The massed native hordes storm the beach as the PC ships sail off. Just as the PCs
are breathing a sigh of relief, they are attacked by pirates sent by a rival
kingdom that covets the obelisk.
In Part 3, "The Powers That Be," the obelisk is safely erected in the kings palace
square. At the first full moon, however, a magical doorway appears in its base. The
king orders the characters to enter it to find out what's going on.
The PCs enter the obelisk and find themselves in a subterranean world. There they
meet a strange race of interplanar traders, intelligent spiders whose base is soon
revealed to be on a moon of the characters' world. The Needle is a transportation
device! The spiders are eager to trade with the
characters, but the PCs must first prove the courage and worth of their races by
rescuing the spider-princess from her evil captors and slaying a dragon in the
process. If all goes well, the characters return to their city with new weapons,
great treasures, and the good will of the spider race.

Preparing for the Adventure

Needle combines dungeon adventuring with large-scale battles. It is designed for
the six pregenerated characters provided. In addition, two NPCs (Digger and
Montana) accompany this group for the first part of the adventure and are met again
in the concluding section of the adventure. If you do not use the pregenerated
characters, be sure that your party is made up of a similar mix of classes at
levels 8-10 and is equipped to handle the needs that arise, especially those of
communication, magical curing, and magical attacks. No Druids should accompany the
party as their presence will take away much of the challenge of the jungle
adventure in Parts 1 and 2.
Carefully cut apart the character cards printed on the inner cover. Also cut out
the messages, and delusions on page 11. Keep these messages and delusions hidden
until they are needed later in the game. Distribute the character cards and spell
books to their players. Allow the players enough time to become familiar with their
characters' abilities and personalities. The players will find useful information
on how to role play their characters' interactions with each other on the reverse
of each character card. This information is private, only for the player of the
character. Be sure to review these role-playing notes yourself, of course.
Encourage the players to compare the characters to some extent, noting such details
as spells and magic items carried. Encourage the clerics and magic-users to
coordinate their spell selections.

The following abbreviations are used in this adventure:

" scale size, 10' indoors, 10 yds. outdoors
' feet
A area of effect
AC Armor Class
AL alignment
#AP number appearing
#AT number of attacks in one round
C casting time
cr creature
cn coins of weight (10 cn = 1 pound)
cu cubic
cuf cubic feet
d die (as in d10, a 10-sided die)
dia diameter
DMG Damage
DR duration
ft. feet
HD Hit Dice
hp hit points
hr game hour; 6 turns
IN intelligence level of monster
L level
mi mile(s) of distance
MV movement rate
obj object
R range
r a game round; 1 minute
rad radius
rv reversible spell
s a game segment; 6 seconds
SA special attack(s)
SD special defense(s)
sq square
sqf square feet
Sts saving throw vs. spells
Stw saving throw vs. wands
SZ size (S = small, M = medium, L = large)
t a game turn; 10 minutes
THACO score needed (on ld20) to hit AC 0
/ per
@ apiece or each
# pound(s) of weight; 1# = 10 cn
The monster descriptions are given in the following format:
Monster Name: AC; MV; HD; hp; #AT; THACO; Dmg; SZ; AL; IN; STs; STw; SA;SD
NATIVE LIFE

There are two native tribes living in the jungle in the area of the obelisk. These
two tribes are ancient enemies. In addition, hordes of creepy-crawlies live in the
jungle trees, making travel off the paths extremely dangerous.

Grippli
The good natives are intelligent humanoid tree frogs called Grippli. They call
themselves the "good folk" and refer to their enemies as the "bad folk."
Each Grippli is about 2 1/2 feet tall. They eat fruit and insects (including giant
forms, catching them with nets and snares). Their hands and feet are adapted for
easy movement through tree branches (9" rate). They wear no armor. Grippli have
700-year life spans but few offspring.
Grippli have grey-green skin, natural camouflage which aids in surprise (1-4 on
1d6). They have ultravision (10" range), allowing nighttime activity. Grippli are
not warlike. They speak their own tongue and a Batrachian Common language by which
they talk (though rarely) with other froglike humanoids. Only the tribal Mother
speaks human Common. The Grippli can be easily scared away by loud noises or
magical displays. If scared off, they run to their village to tell the tribal
Mother about the events. They are not a real threat in this adventure; rather, they
are an opportunity.
One or two Grippli may be slain, either by mistake or if they are provoked to
attack. If five or more Grippli are slain during Part 1, for any reason, the entire
village flees deep into the jungle and does not return in that part of the
adventure. Grippli deaths in Part 2 are more serious, as the natives perceive the
large group of human workers as an invasion of their territory.
If eight or more Grippli are slain in Part 2, for any reason, the entire village
population disappears into the jungle and returns with five tribes of
reinforcements a day or two later. These six tribes (180 Grippli in all, plus
leaders) are all that live within 5 miles of the ruins, but 30 other tribes live
within 50 miles.

Grippli Village
The Grippli village is not visible from the air, but is completely hidden under
heavy jungle cover. It consists of 30 mud-and-grass huts around a central
ceremonial area (rarely used, but containing blackened logs
and ashes). The tribal Mother lives in the largest hut and rarely leaves it. She is
always guarded by four attendant Grippli of very large size. Thirty adult and five
young Grippli live in some of the other huts, in pairs. Half of the huts are used
for eating places, storage, etc.
If the village is entered without a native guide during Part 1 of this adventure,
it will be deserted.
If approached carefully, the Grippli may be dealt with peacefully. They are
interested both in well-crafted items (nearly everything the party has) and in
anything brightly colored, but not in treasure. They may offer to trade gems in
exchange for other items, but they have no conception of real gem values. Each
Grippli carries some gems. If bartering occurs, roll ld20 to determine the value of
the gem offered:

GEM VALUE CHART

Die Roll Value
1-4 10 gp
5-8 50 gp
9-12 100 gp
13-16 500 gp
17-19 1000 gp
20 5000 gp

The Mother
Once per day, the tribal Mother can produce a musk spray covering a 20 X 20 foot
area, 10 feet high, in front of her. This musk spray has the same effect as a
stinking cloud spell. Each victim must make a saving throw vs. poison or be
helpless for 2-5 rounds, and anyone within the cloud is automatically helpless
except to move. The attendants and Mother are immune to these effects, but the
other Grippli are not.
The tribal Mother and her attendants use poison where necessary. This deadly toxin
is brewed from the vilest snake venoms. If touched, the victim must make a saving
throw vs. poison or die. When used on a weapon, a victim struck takes 1-6 points of
additional damage and must make a saving throw, with a -4 penalty to the roll, or
die.
The Mother is also psionic. In addition to Attack/Defense modes A,C/G,J, she knows
the discipline of telepathic projection, a major science, at 6th level of mastery
(range 60 feet, area 10-foot-wide path, cost 3/use, duration 6 rounds per use).
With this, she can either sense or send emotions: hunger, fear, fatigue, pain,
rage, hatred, uncertainty, curiosity, hostility, friendliness, love, and so forth.
She uses this discipline to sense PC intentions, to influence others in her tribe,
and (if necessary) to arouse antihuman feelings in other creatures of the area.
Each tribe's Mother has the same abilities.
The tribal Mother handles all negotiations for her people; no other Grippli can
speak for the tribe. She knows the human Common tongue in addition to the usual
Grippli languages. While talking with PCs, she beams trustworthiness (via her
psionics) at them. If the Mother or her attendants are harmed in any way, four
Grippli from the village flee to gather the other five nearby tribes, while the
remainder of the village Grippli attack with great ferocity, gaining a +4 bonus to
all "to hit" rolls (new THACO: 14) and +2 to damage.
The tribal Mother's first message to the PCs is very important. She tells the PCs
that they may use all the trees they wish from the area north of the ruins, but
they cannot cut trees to the east or west nor in any area closer to the beach.
(Luckily, there are no trees on the old roadway, only underbrush. She has no
objections about clearing that. The Mother warns that very great evil things may
happen if her warning is not heeded�things far beyond Grippli powers. While not
quite truthful, the Mother's admonition is made to protect the areas around the
Grippli villages. See Mother's Revenge if logging in forbidden areas occurs.
The Mother next reveals that some of her folk oppose the human invasion on
religious grounds. The maze and obelisk are held sacred by a large conservative
group of the tribe (12 Grippli). She cannot guarantee their good behavior, but will
control them as best she can with the aid of the other 18 Grippli if the PCs offer
an appropriate gift.
The tribe must be offered (through their Mother) at least 200 square feet of
brightly colored cloth or one crafted item (such as a metal weapon) per Grippli
native for negotiations to succeed. Even then, the best the Mother can do is to
order the Grippli to avoid hostilities with the humans for two moons (56 days). No
amount of further bribing extends this time nor gains Grippli aid. If the PCs later
protest to the Grippli about raiding, the Mother becomes irritated and denies all
Grippli involvement.

Mother's Revenge
If the PCs do not cooperate with the Grippli, or kill many of them, the tribal
Mother (or another tribe's Mother, if this one is slain) has an ultimate weapon at
her disposal. Using her psionic discipline, she can muster the forces of the
jungle, pushing their emotions into an anti-human rage. The denizens of the
treetops can be agitated into nearly continuous attacks on the obelisk-moving
operation. If this occurs, 1-10 randomly determined treetop creatures attack some
part of the group (often not the PCs) each hour, day and night. Once relations have
degenerated to this extent, the party's only recourse is escape. The entire PC
expedition must flee to the boats and return home in failure.

Grippli Native: AC 9; MV 9"//15"; HD 1+1; hp 5; #AT 1; THACO 18; Dmg 1d4 or by

spear (1-6 + poison); SZ S; AL N; Intelligence Very to Exceptional; STs 17; STw 16

Grippli Attendant: AC 8; MV 9" //15"; HD 2; hp 16; #AT 1; THACO 16; Dmg 1d4+1 or by
weapon + poison (see above); SA: poisoned
weapon.

Grippli Tribal Mother: AC 7; MV 9" //15"; HD 3; hp 24; #AT 1; THACO 16; Dmg 1d6 +1
or by weapon + poison; SA: poisoned weapon; psionic ability 200; l/ day musk spray
(as stinking cloud)

Bullywugs
The bad natives are froglike beings (physically very similar to the Grippli),
called Bullywugs. Like the Grippli, they also refer to themselves as the "good
folk'' and their enemies as the "bad folk." The average Bully-wug is about the same
size as a Grippli, but some grow larger. They are similarly colored and supplement
their diet of fruit and insects with flesh when they can get it.
Bullywugs have chameleon-like camouflage and have adapted for easy movement in
trees. They speak their own language and the Batrachian Common tongue, as do the
Grippli. Only their chieftains and sub-chiefs can speak human Common.
Bullywugs are less intelligent than Grippli but more aggressive. The more
intelligent among them may wear armor and use shields. They surprise on 1-3 (on
1d6), or 1-5 if hopping to the attack.
Like the Grippli, the Bullywugs can easily be scared away by loud noises or magical
displays. If scared off, they run to their village to tell their leader about the
events.
Although Bullywugs are chaotic evil in alignment, a detect evil spell detects no
evil on these creatures while they are trying to negotiate with humans because
their intentions are fairly benign. A know alignment spell, however, always reveals
their true nature.
If 20 or more Bullywugs are slain in Part 1, the entire village flees deep into the
jungle and does not return in that part of the adventure.
If Bullywug habitations are visited uninvited during Part 1, they will be deserted.
The Bullywugs are not interested in trade of any kind. They may pretend to be
Grippli if approached, but will attack if an ambush is possible or if surprise is
likely. Bullywug survivors flee such attacks quickly, leaving if any two are slain.
However, such encounters arouse their innate hostility, and more Bullywug attacks
are sure to follow.
Bullywug Clearing A large, partially cleared area, 40 yards in diameter, is marked
Bullywug Clearing on your map. It contains 10 mud and grass huts of similar
construction to those in the Grippli village. The clearing is an occupied outpost
of the larger Bullywug village and is normally occupied by 15 Bullywugs and one
leader, a sub-chief known as the tribal Father. He can speak the human Common
tongue. If the clearing is visited, the Bullywugs proudly claim this to be their
beautiful village home. The real village (see below) is not visible from here. All
negotiations with the Bullywugs occur in the clearing.
If the PCs come to talk with these natives, the Father greets them in a friendly
fashion and offers them presents of one gem per PC (value 100 gp each). He then
explains that they need PC aid. The "bad folk" (Grippli) often prey on his poor
people, and their once large population has now been reduced to a mere handful. He
reveals that the Grippli tribal Mother is very dangerous because "she has mind
power" and can influence others simply by staring at them.
The Father offers the following deal: If the PCs help his people to chase off or
kill the "bad folk" (Grippli), he will quiet those of his tribe who object to the
PC desecration of a sacred area (the maze and obelisk) and will give the PCs an
ancient box the Bullywugs once found near the shrine. If PCs agree, he suggests a
raid on the Grippli village. If that is turned down, he goes along with PC ideas.
Only these 15 Bullywugs and their leader accompany the PCs on any expedition,
leaving the other 50 Bullywugs in their true village (see below). Kliket, the
Bullywug chieftain, is kept informed of all events by native runners.
The Father gives the PCs the ancient chest if they aid the Bullywugs. This item is
a very old but still intact treasure chest. It contains 100 pounds of various old
bones and six reddish metal coins (silicon-steel) bearing strange runes. Read
languages can reveal the words to be "Garhsa Koo" on one side, "One Sarkum" on the
other.
If the Bullywugs are attacked in the clearing, they flee north to their real
village. Otherwise, they remain here at all times to maintain the deception that
this is their true village. However, if PCs visit here a second time unexpectedly
and observe carefully, they find 1-6 more Bullywugs than were here before. If asked
about this discrepancy, the leader explains that these individuals were out
foraging during the PC's last visit.

Bullywug Village
The real Bullywug village is located about one mile west of the fake village
clearing. Hidden from above by dense jungle cover, it consists of 40 mud huts
circling a central ceremonial area (rarely used, but containing a muddy bog with
some bones). There are 50 Bullywugs living here. If 20 or more Bullywugs are slain
in Part 2, this entire village flees deep into the jungle and returns with three
tribes of Bullywug reinforcements a week or two later. The other Bullywug tribes
have 75 members each, plus leaders
and shamans.
The leaders of this village are one chieftain, three sub-chiefs, and two shamans.

Bullywug Native: AC 6; MV 3"//15";HD 1; hp 5; #AT 3 or 1; THACO 19; Dmg 1-2/1-2/2-5

or by spear (1-6 + poison); SZ S-M; Intelligence Low to Average; STs 17; STw 16

Kliket, Bullywug Chieftain: AC 2; HD 3; hp 18; #AT 3 or 1; THACO 16; Dmg 3-4/ 3-

4/4-7 or by weapon +2 (2-7 + poison); STs 16, STw 15.

Bullywug Sub-chief: AC 2; HD 2; hp 12; #AT 3 or 1; THACO 16; Dmg 2-3/2-3/3-6 or by

spear (2-7 + poison)

Bullywug Shaman: AC 6 (or better) HD 1+7; hp 11; #AT 3 or 1; THACO 16; Dmg 1-2/1-
2/2-5 or by spear (2-7 + poison)
Special Attacks: Clerical spells (7th-level caster)
Spells: 3, 3, 2, 1, from the following list:
Level 1: cure/cause light wounds, detect evil/good, detect magic, light/darkness,
protection from evil/good, remove/ cause fear
Level 2: augury, chant, detect/undetectable charm, resist fire, snake charm, speak
with animals
Level 3: cure/cause blindness, cure/cause disease, dispel magic, locate/obscure
object, prayer, remove/bestow curse Level 4: divination, exorcise, neutralize
poison/poison, tongues/babble
Normal spell selection:
Cure Light Wounds (x2; C 5s, 1d8)
Cause Fear (C 4s, R touch, DR 7r)
Resist Fire (C 1r, R touch, DR 7t)
Snake Charm (C 5s, R 3", DR l-3t or 1d4+4r)
Speak With Animals (C 5s, R 0, DR 14r, area 3")
Cause Blindness (C 1r, R touch, permanent)
Dispel Magic (C 6s, R 6", 30' cube)
Tongues (C 7s, R 0, DR 1t, area 3" radius)

Treetop Denizens
There are many creatures dwelling in the jungle trees, and they can be quite
dangerous.
If characters go near the treetops, either by flying or climbing, tell the players
that the trees are "thick with flying, crawling, hissing creatures of all types."
Try to impress them with the extreme danger of entering or passing through the
treetops.
Characters who do enter the treetops are attacked by the collection of creatures
listed below. Consider this horde to be present in any one section of treetops
roughly 100 feet square. If these are all killed, the characters can proceed
without further problems unless they re-enter the treetops at another point, where
another group of creepy-crawlies will be ready, waiting, and hungry.

Dragonfly, giant (3): AC 3; MV 1" /36"; HD 7; hp 35; #AT 1; THACO 12; Dmg 3-12; SZ
M; AL N; Intelligence Low; STs 6; STw 5; SA and SD: +2 bonus to initiative; with
initiative, immune to handheld weapons, AC -1 vs. missiles; without initiative, AC
1 vs. missiles; makes all saving throws as level 16 magic-user.

Snake, giant constrictor (1): AC 5; MV 9" ; HD 6+1; hp 30; MT 2; THACO 13; Dmg 1-
4/2-8; SZ L; AL N; Intelligence Animal; STs 16; STw 15; SA: constriction

Snake, giant poisonous (2): AC 5; MV 15"; HD 4+2; hp 25; #AT 1; THACO 15; Dmg 1-3 +
poison; SZ L; AL N; Intelligence Animal; STs 17; STw 16; SA: poisonous bite

Spider, huge (6): AC 6; MV 18"; HD 2+2; #AT 1; THACO 16; Dmg 1-6 + poison; SZ M; AL
N; Intelligence Animal; STs 17; STw 16; SA: surprise on 1-5, leap 3" range, weak
poison ( +1 bonus to saving throws)

Spider, giant (3): AC 4; MV 3"*12"; HD 4+4; hp 12; #AT 1; THACO 15; Dmg 2-8 +
poison; SZ L; AL CE; Intelligence Low; STs 16; STw 15; SA: poisonous bite

Wasp, giant (10): AC 4; MV 6" /21" ;HD 4; hp 25; #AT 2; THACO 15; Dmg 2-8/1-4 +
poison; SZ M; AL N: Intelligence Non; STs 17; STw 16; SA: tail sting (save vs.
poison or suffer permanent paralysis). Note: Wings burn off in fire (no damage, but
wasp cannot fly thereafter).

Non-Player Characters

Montana
8th Level Dwarf Fighter
Strength: 7
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 10
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 17
Charisma: 7
Alignment: Neutral
Hit Points: 75
THACO: 14
AC normal: -1
AC rear: 2
Armor type: plate & shield
Weapon Proficiencies: 6; battle axe, hammer, crossbow, spear, bastard sword, two-
handed sword.
Attacks: 3/2 rounds
Cannot use longbow or any weapon over 12' long.
Special Abilities: Infravision 60', find slopes 9/12, new construction 9/12,
shifting wall 8/12, stone traps 6/12, depth underground 6/12.
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold, Orcish
Magical items: plate mail +1; shield +1; battle axe +2; hammer +1; bastard sword
+l/+4vs. reptiles; boots of levitation; potions of extra-healing, growth, speed.

Montana is a tomboy, even among female dwarven fighters, and enjoys a rousing good
time of any sort. She acts a good deal younger than her mature age of 67. Among her
kind, she's awesome, standing well above the average height and very sturdily
built. Though Montana may seem a bit "rough-and-tumble" to others, she doesn't
care. She enjoys challenging male dwarves and proving that she's the best, whatever
the contest.
Montana likes fun and games, boisterous activity of any sort. She dislikes
weaklings and "fat boys," although she has come to respect Smiley's clerical skills
(if not his other traits). As a very active person, she enjoys almost anything
strenuous: mountain climbing, mining, or a good fight. Her magical boots of
levitation help in these pursuits as well as in many melee and dungeon situations.
As part of a standard group marriage in her Boulder Clan, she is involved in the
running of the clanhome whenever she is there and takes a dominant role, of course.
Some of the female dwarves would like to nominate her for clanmistress, but she
doesn't want to be tied down with that sort of thing.
Montana knows all the other adventurers quite well and has traveled with them
before. She gets along well with Blondy, the fighter. They often tell each other
stories of their adventures. Although she tries to stay out of his way, she
sometimes interferes with Slims spells by accidentally levitating, and he gets mad.
Montana shares Smiley the cleric's full appreciation for dwarven things, especially
fine ale, but is often irritated by Digger, the fighter-thief. His black sense of
humor (as with all gnomes) can be hard to take, but she freely admits he knows more
about mining than she does, the skinny little runt.
She doesn't get along well with Blaze, the elf. They avoid each other, sometimes
exchanging snide remarks�if it doesn't interfere with battling common enemies.
Montana thinks Finder, the half-elf cleric-ranger, is a bore and sometimes a real
pain with his "goody goody" attitude.

Digger
5th Level Gnome Fighter 8th Level Gnome Thief
Strength: 17
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 9
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 15
Charisma: 9
Alignment: Neutral (Evil)
Hit Points: 40
THACO: 16 as Fighter
19 as Thief
AC normal: 1
AC rear: 7
Armor type: leather & shield
Weapon Proficiencies (as Fighter): 5; dart, hammer, short bow, spear, bastard sword
Weapon Proficiencies (as Thief): 3; club, dagger, sling
Cannot use longbow, crossbow, or any weapon over 12' long or over 200 cn weight.
Special Abilities: Infravision 60', find slopes 8/10, unsafe stone 7/10, depth
underground 6/10, direction of travel underground 5/10.
Thieving Skills (race and Dexterity included):
PP OL FT MS HS HN CW RL
70 77 65 72 59 35 81 40
Languages: Burrowing Mammal, Common, Dwarvish, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Kobold
Magical Items: leather armor +1; shield +2; shortbow +1; dagger +2; 8 arrows +1;
bag of holding (500 lb., 70 cubic feet); decanter of endless water; potions of
extra-healing, fire resistance, levitation

Digger is a friendly, humorous person with a great love of cash�to the extent of
being a greedy miser. A mature gnome of average size, Digger is stronger and more
dexterous than he looks. Despite his fighting skills, he prefers to travel and
fight in leather and shield. He is very outgoing but not brash and tries to make
friends everywhere. He never mentions his secret hobby: collecting gems and rare
coins. Sometimes, Digger manages to pick up a few extra things in treasure rooms,
but is careful to not even try when there's a magic-user nearby.
Digger likes jokes and puns (good or bad) and the outdoors. He dislikes spell
casters of all types, though he's careful not to show it; clerics are useful. He
also hates the nickname "Hoser," given to him because of his magic water bottle. He
has nice gardens at home, both indoors and out. His magic water bottle is useful
there, as well as during adventures.
After growing up in a burrow community, Digger moved out to seek his fortune and
now lives alone in a large burrow complex under the capital city. Its location is a
complete secret, except to one innkeeper whom Digger blackmails into keeping it
hidden. His secret hoard or rare coins and gems totals almost 100,000 gp.
Digger knows all the others in the party quite well and has adventured with them
before. Blondy seems easy to fool. She thinks Digger is wonderful because he once
doused her when she was on fire. Digger has carefully developed Slim's friendship
and often carries his spell books for him in his bag of holding. When he's ready to
retire, Digger can sell them back to the magic-user... from a safe distance.
Smiley, the cleric, is a real clod, so goody-goody, but his goodwill is needed; he
can raise dead. And at least he can appreciate the gnomish sense of humor. Montana,
the dwarf, is one of the few that Digger really trusts, even if she is a showoff.
The Ghost is Digger's closest ally, as a fellow Thieves' Guild member, but Digger
doesn't confide in him. Blaze seems to have suspicions about Digger and watches him
carefully, but Finder is useful tool, easily fooled and an easy mark for a fast
cure.

Torgel
13th Level Human Magic-User
Strength: 9
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 16
Charisma: 14
Alignment: Neutral
Hit Points: 40
THACO: 16
AC normal: -5
AC rear: -5
Armor type: bracers of defense (AC 0)
Magical Items: cloak of protection +3, ring of protection +2, bracers of defense
(AC0), dagger +2, dagger +1
Spells: 5,5,5,4,4,2
Spells Memorized (spell book is lost):
Level 1: charm person, detect magic, magic missile (X3, two already cast), read
magic, shield, unseen servant
Level 2: detect invisibility (X2), invisibility (X2), web
Level 3: dispel magic, feign death, fly, tongues (lightning bolt and slow already
cast)
Level 4: dimension door, polymorph self, Rary's mnemonic enhancer (X2, both already
cast)
Level 5: hold monster (cone of cold, passwall, and teleport already cast)
Level 6: death spell, geas

Torgel is 52 years old but in remarkably good shape. He tends to be opinionated and
not very trusting. His personality is diplomatic but aloof, his disposition is
even-tempered, and his nature is forgiving but not softhearted. He is truthful when
it suits him, slightly greedy, and somewhat irreverent.
Torgel was quite a famous magic-user in the capital city, and his name and
reputation are familiar to the PCs. He was known as a friend and advisor to the
king, but disappeared about two years prior to this adventure.
Unknown to the adventurers, theirs was not the first group sent out to find the
obelisk. Torgel was a member of one such party that never returned. During an
attack by hordes of Bullywugs, Torgel lost his spell book and now has only those
spells he has memorized (but not yet cast) at his disposal. When he attempted to
use his one teleport spell to escape the battle, the spell went awry and he was
sent instead to the center of the obelisk maze.
After losing a large salami and the tips of two fingers to one of the
disintegrators, he gave up all attempts to escape the maze and settled in to await
rescue, looking on this period of enforced (but well fed) captivity as a time for
meditation and contemplation.

Chak
(New Monster)
Armor Class: 5 (AC 0 if armored)
Move: 9*21
Hit Dice: 5
No. of Attacks: 1 weapon, 2 lightwand, or bite
Damage: by weapon or 1d6 + poison
THACO: 15
Alignment: Any
Size: L
Intelligence: Avg. to High
STs: 14
STw: 13
Special Attacks: poisonous bite, weapons, lightwands (13 charges each)
Special Defense: shift out of phase

The Chak are a race of intelligent beings closely related to phase spiders. They
are the dominant creatures in Part 3 of this adventure. The Chak have prospered as
merchants, trading among many of the races of the Inner Planes of Existence. Their
society is large and advanced. Planets are ruled by local kings serving an emperor
who rules from the race's home planet somewhere in the Prime Plane.
Individual Chak may be of any alignment but tend to associate only with those of
similar alignment (at least along good-evil lines). The average Chak lives over a
thousand years. All Chak speak a common language of the same name, and many have
learned to speak human Common and several other tongues through their dealings with
other races. When speaking a "foreign language," their speech patterns mimic their
teachers. They develop some odd colloquial expressions, and these habits are hard
to break. (The "gee whiz" phrase came into their vocabulary from contact with a
paladin some 800 years past.)
Noble Chak are 1-4 Hit Dice larger than the average, with a corresponding damage
bonus (1-4), and are AC 3. Kings have at least 10 Hit Dice, with bite damage 2d10
and AC0.
The most common weapon used by the Chak is the lightwand, a seemingly innocent,
light-producing device which, when fitted with a special control ring, can be fired
as a laser (range 120', #AT 2/round, Dmg 2d8, save vs. wands for 1/2 damage; target
treated as AC 10 modified for magic or dexterity only). Other small weapons, such
as daggers or hand axes, are also used. In their lair, over 40% of the Chak
encountered are armed with lightwand weapons.
Chak spin webs, but only in their residences, not throughout a Chak community. A
webbed victim of 18 or greater Strength can break free in one round. For each point
of Strength under 18, it takes one additional round to break free of Chak webbing.
Though Chak can shift out of phase as normal phase spiders, entering the Ethereal
Plane at will and returning when desired, they consider it very impolite to do so.
Besides, the Ether is cold and possibly dangerous, so it is normally used only as a
route to other planes, except in emergencies (such as attacks). In addition, items
carried by the Chak do not go to the Ethereal Plane with them.

Chomper
(Modified Monster)
Armor Class: 5
Move: 9"
Hit Dice: 9
Hit Points: 40
No. of Attacks: 1 bite & 1 tail sting
Damage: 2d8/1d4 + poison (paralysis)
THACO: 12
Alignment: N
Size: L
Intelligence: Animal
Sts: 14
STw: 13
Special Attacks: tail sting (save vs. poison or suffer paralysis for 2-12 turns)

The chomper is a smallish variety of purple worm (Monster Manual, pg. 80), only 20-
30' long but otherwise identical. It eats rock, burrowing deep and instinctively
avoiding the lethal airless lunar surface. Chompers are slightly more intelligent
than purple worms. They were introduced to the moon by the Chak, who trained them
to respond to simple commands, and they are the primary means of creating new
tunnel systems. Tame chompers are virtually harmless, never biting creatures except
by accident. Wild chompers exist, however, and are not averse to adding a bit of
meat to their diet. A chompers tail stinger is poisonous, but only causes
paralysis. The maw can only swallow creatures of halfling size or smaller.

Galeb Duhr
(Adapted Monster)
Armor Class: -2
Move: 6"
Hit Dice: 8-10
No. of Attacks: 1 bite
Damage 2d8,3d6, or 4d6
THACO: 12 or 10
Alignment: n
Size: L (8-12')
Intelligence: Very
Sts: 10
Stw: 9

These odd rock-beings are reclusive but very much at home on the moon, both in the
air-filled tunnels and on the airless surface. A galeb duhr looks like a large
bipedal rock, with a mouth and squinty eyes. They normally avoid or ignore the Chak
but are sometimes hired as guards or spies. Details of their society (if any) are
unknown.
A galeb duhr can cast the following spells as a 20th-level magic-user, one spell
per round: passwall, stone shape, transmute rock to mud, wall of stone, move earth.
Just as a treant can affect normal trees, a galeb duhr can animate and control up
to two boulders within 6" range (AC 0; MV 3"; HD 9; #AT 1 crush; Dmg. 4d6; AL N;
THACO 12; SZ L; IN non: STs 16; STW 15).
Adapted to lunar life, these creatures are not as susceptible to cold as are their
cousins. No penalty applies to their saving throw against cold-based attacks, but
damage is still doubled (save for normal damage). They are resistant to magical
fire, gaining a +4 bonus to saving throws, and are immune to normal fire and all
lightning. The boulders they animate share the same resistances and immunities.

Glommer
(Adapted Monster)
Armor Class: 5
Move: 12"
Hit Dice: 6
No. of Attacks: 4 claws or weapons
Damage: 1d4 (X4) or by weapon
THACO: 13
Alignment: NE
Size: M
Intelligence: animal
STs: 16
Stw: 15

The glommer is a four-armed carnivorous ape, perhaps a mutation, brought to the

moon from its native jungles by evil Chak. Using all four arms, a glommer has an
effective Strength of 22 (carry 1,000 lb. weight, open doors 11 in 12, wizard locks
4 in 12, and bend bars/lift gates 80%).
Glommers normally use no weapons. They may be taught to use clubs or throw rocks,
but not other weapons. With either
weapon, no penalties "to hit" or to damage apply for multiple attacks. Club damage
is standard (1d6/1d3), and small rocks may be thrown to 3"/6"/9" ranges, for Dmg 1-
4 each. If all four of an unarmed glommer's claw attacks hit a single opponent, an
extra 2-20 points of rending damage are automatically inflicted. If three claws
hit, rending damage is 1-12. If only two hit, rending damage is 1-8.

Roc, Moon
(Adapted Monster)
Armor Class: 4
Move: 3" /24"
Hit Dice: 18
No. of Attacks: 2 claws or 1 beak
Damage: 3d6/3d6 or 4d6
THACO: 7
Alignment: N
Size: L (70' wingspread)
Intelligence: animal
STs: 11
Stw: 10

The lunar variety of this species was created by some mad wizard. Moon rocs need no
air and fly magically, using their wings only for stability. They are immune to all
gases and feed on and are cured by light and heat, absorbed through the wings. Moon
rocs are otherwise very similar to their terrestrial cousins.

Tin Man
(New Monster)
Armor Class: 6
Move: 9"
Hit Dice: 6
Hit Points: 27
No. of Attacks: 1 axe or fist
Damage: 1-8 or 1-4
THACO: 13
Alignment: N
Size: M(6')
Intelligence: non

The tin man is a tin golem, found during Part 2 of this adventure. Long ago, the
Chak bought it from another race and sold it to the Grippli. If the party brings
the tin man along, they may learn how to activate and control it by talking with
the Chak advisors, and it may prove useful.
Once activated, the tin man always speaks when spoken to, but it has no brain and
offers only random comments or answers to any questions. It is immune to most
spells, but water- or ice-based attacks (normal or magical) cause it to become
stiff and immobile in 1-4 rounds. (Thorough oiling will free it.) It can be
affected by normal or magical weapons. When reduced to 0 hp or less, it is not
destroyed but merely immobilized. It can only be destroyed by melting in red dragon
breath or hotter. The tin man can be activated or deactivated by the command word
"Zihweeg."
The tin man is immune to damage from lightwands; its shiny surface reflects the
shots. If a shot hits, however, it is reflected in a random direction (roll 1d6):
Die Roll (1d6) Direction
1 90 degrees left
2 45 degrees left
3 Back at attacker
4 45 degrees right
5 90 degrees right
6 Straight up
Any target in the path of the reflection must make a saving throw vs. wands or take
1-8 points of damage.

PART 1 - RUINS OF EMPIRE

Players' Background
Read the following to the players:
>>Several years ago, when you were all novice adventurers, you joined an
adventurers' guild known as SMART, the Syndicate of Master Adventurers for the
Recovery of Treasure. You were all strangers to one another then, but you came to
know and respect each other's talents over the years.
>>SMART is but one of several adventurers' guilds located in the capital city. By
royal decree, all professional adventurers residing in the capital must belong to a
guild. Several organizations were formed to satisfy the letter of the king's edict.
Each caters to a specialized group. There are the Assassins' Guild, the Legion of
Law, and many others. SMART is one of the largest and most powerful groups now
existing.
>>SMART members are generally neutral. Moral extremists, such as paladins, are not
invited. Evil is also discouraged, though not totally forbidden.
>>SMART members swear oaths of loyalty and cooperation. Members never steal from
each other or from the group. Lost members are recovered and restored, if possible.
If not, their rightful shares are paid out according to their wills.
SMART has served you well. Through it, you have found opportunities for profitable
adventure, friends, and knowledge. SMART members train you. SMART sells potions and
normal equipment at discount prices. Your own interests are best served by keeping
good relations with the group and with its individual members.
>>Notices of Opportunity are always posted at SMART headquarters. You have
volunteered for an adventure to serve the king. The notice was clearly marked with
the rune for "high danger, high reward." Many asked to go, but you are the lucky
ones, selected by the SMART leaders.
>>It seems that the king has heard of a large and powerful magical device located
in the ruins of a city far away. He wants you to locate it for him so that an
expedition can be sent out to retrieve it. You are to be paid a relatively small
fee but can keep anything you find in the distant city. Your reputations will also
profit, as will your guild's. Transportation is provided.
>>The device is rumored to be a large pillar with flat sides. No verified details
of its size or powers are available.
This adventure begins in the early afternoon of a clear, sunny day. Your ship is
nearing the end of its three-week voyage southward. The lookout suddenly cries
"Land Ho!"
>>Once you debark, the ship and crew will wait for up to two weeks before they give
up and return home.
>>Your objectives are to find the obelisk for the king, gather as much information
about it and its location as possible, and find and keep as much treasure as you
can for yourselves while cooperating to keep all party members alive through the
process.

Pre-Start: Saving Throw Results Before starting the first part of this adventure,
ask each player to make the following eight saving throws for his or her character.
Roll the saving throws for Montana and Digger, the two NPC adventurers accompanying
the party.
Note all failures here. You need not note the successes. Put an "X" in the row by
the character's name under each saving throw failed. When the results of a saving
throw are called for in the adventure, find the letter of that throw in the first
row and read down, noting each "X" as a failure. Two saving throws are not actually
needed, but will help keep them on their toes.
The required saving throws are:

A vs. Poison (Encounter A2)

B vs. Poison (Encounter A4)
C vs. Breath Weapon (Encounter A2)
D vs. Spells, no Wisdom or Resistance adjustments (Maze Room #1)
E vs. Spells, no Wisdom or Resistance adjustments (Maze Room #3)
F vs. Spells (not used)
G vs. Petrifaction (not used)
H vs. Death (Maze Room #6 or thereafter)
A B C D E
Blondy ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Slim ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Smiley ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
The Ghost ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Blaze ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Finder ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Montana ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Digger ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Trail Encounter Key

A1. Beach
The ship lands on a strip of clear shoreline, but dense jungle lies beyond. The
characters may either search for a trail (there is one), or fly overhead looking
for clues. An aerial search reveals nothing but jungle for miles unless a detect
invisibility spell is used. If so, some ruins can be spotted 1 1/2 miles inland
under the dense treetops straight in from the beach. Swarming hordes of creepy
crawlies (see Tree-top Denizens) can be seen in the trees as well. The trail also
leads to the ruins.
If the party attempts to hack their way in through the jungle, they are faced with
quicksand bogs on all sides. Make every effort to keep the party from attempting to
wander through the jungle.
Refer to the Jungle Map. If the party heads in by the trail, note the encounters
along the way. If they all take the aerial route, landing in or near the ruins, use
the treetop encounter as noted earlier.
The trail leads northwest from the beach for about 70 yards, then heads north for
300 yards, and turns again to the northwest.

A2. Weirdness
At the point marked "X" on the Jungle Map, 200 yards west of the second bend in the
trail, stands a basidirond. It has been emitting poisonous hallucinatory spores,
which cover the area marked with the dotted circle.
Use the results of saving throw A (vs. poison). Anyone who failed this saving throw
is affected by a hallucination. You'll need the delusion and message notes you were
instructed to cut out and keep hidden. Do not announce the effects or give the
players any hint that they have encountered a basidirond. Simply give one note to
each player. Players who failed their saving throws should receive delusion notes.
Those with unaffected characters should be given the message notes provided.
To determine which message to give each player, roll 1d6 for each deluded PC and
use the following table. Do not duplicate any messages; re-roll as needed.
Die Roll Delusion
1 Stuck in swamp: Strip off armor to keep from sinking.
2 Spider attack: Attack incoming spiders in all directions
3 Viper: Item held is a snake; drop it, leap away; attack it and
try to convince the others.
4 Disease: Other characters are moldy; avoid coming within 10 feet of
them.
5 Melting: Drop everything and hold self together with both hands.
6 Leech: Tear off anything worn on the back and attack; its a giant
leech.

The hallucinations are not illusions, and disbelief has no effect. They must be
believed and acted upon as if real. Tell the players to read their messages and
warn them not to compare or discuss them, merely to act on them.
The delusions continue for 1-4 rounds after leaving the area or until a slow poison
or neutralize poison spell is applied. However, if a spell is used, another saving
throw must be made immediately. Keoghtom's ointment gives immunity to the effects
for three turns.
The noise awakens a jungle anhkheg, which rises up at the west side of the path
(but without surprise) and attacks. Deluded characters may be able to attack the
anhkheg, if convenient or wise, but their delusions have first priority. The
delusions do not prohibit spell casting.
When the anhkheg is damaged to 15 hp or less, it squirts acid in the next round,
automatically gaining initiative. Use the victims' saving throw C (vs. breath
weapon). The monster can attack normally after squirting (at the end of the same
round), but no extra acid damage applies to a bite after the creature has used its
squirt. Ignore acid damage to items.
If the party flees, the ankheg moves onto the trail and pursues.

A3. Visitors
>From the second bend, the trail proceeds northwest for 635 yards (nine diagonals
of map squares) and then turns north. Seventy yards (one diagonal) before this
turn, the party notices four froglike humanoids watching them carefully from the
cover of the jungle to their right (northeast).
These are the Grippli. Be sure you have read the section on Native Life and are
familiar with them. They flee from any party aggressiveness but do not fear spell
casting in itself. They do not speak human Common, only the Grippli and Batrachian
Common tongues. Thus, a tongues spell is needed for meaningful communication.
Alignment language may be used but only produces general messages such as "Peace!"
and "Got anything for me?"
If approached peacefully, the Grippli may barter and may possibly be persuaded to
take the party to their village. They will not suggest this themselves but may
agree if sufficiently bribed or charmed.
If any goodwill is generated, through trading or conversation, and if communication
is possible, the Grippli reveal the following bits of information:
1. The Grippli say there are others about, like Grippli but not like Grippli, who
are nasty. These others are enemies of the Grippli. They have not, however, been
seen for a week or two.
2. They warn the party of a plant monster ahead at the second bend in the trail (a
mantrap), and suggest it is best avoided. Only a slight departure from the trail is
needed. The Grippli tell the PCs to stop 100 feet south of the turn, head northwest
through jungle for 200 feet, and then turn north again. They can then easily regain
the trail.
The adventurers may not notice that the Grippli foot is three-fifths the size of a
human foot. Thus, the creatures' directions are not correct if human feet are used
to measure. A detail map is provided, showing the paths taken by the party if the
true Grippli distances are used (Path A), and if human feet are used (Path B). If
anyone in the party thinks to double-check Grippli distances by comparing actual
feet or asking for the Grippli estimate of an item's or person's size (multiply
normal size by 5/3), this discrepancy can be easily noted and corrected.
Path B comes within range of a second mantrap, located 60 human yards west of the
one by the trail. Use the same details as given in encounter A4 for the first
mantrap. If both are encountered (unlikely but possible), have all characters make
saving throws for the second mantrap; do not use prerolled saves.
Many characters (and all magic-users) can accurately estimate length at a distance
if a clear view can be obtained (and such is the case on straight sections of
trail). This elementary surveying technique requires only the use of an item with a
known length (such as a 10-foot pole). Thus, the distance from the turn can be
estimated without approaching the danger zone.

Delusions
>>You have stepped into a swampy bog, and are stuck. Take off all your armor and
get help before you sink!

>>Suddenly, huge spiders come running at the party from all sides! Attack them!

>>You suddenly realize that the item held in one hand is a deadly pit viper! Drop
it, move away, and attack it! Try to get help from your friends.

>>You suddenly notice that mold is growing on the backs of most of the other
characters. Avoid them! Stay at least 10 feet away�and warn them!

>>You feel a flash of odd heat and start melting! Hold onto yourself with both
hands and warn the others!

>>You suddenly notice that there is a giant leech on your back. Tear it off and
attack it! Better warn the others, too.

Messages
>>You suddenly hear something off in the jungle to the right of the path. The
undergrowth is too thick; nothing is visible.

>>You get the feeling that something odd is about to happen.

>>This is a fake message. Frown, roll ld20, and tell the DM the result. Don't
worry; it doesn't actually mean anything.

>>You notice that there are a lot of creatures up in the treetops: snakes, spiders,
and giant bugs of various sorts.

>>You notice that the jungle is very hot and steamy. Better drink extra water on
this trip. Keep an eye out for a chance to refill the water bottles, too.

>>You start to perspire. It's hot here. Everyone is getting a bit smelly. Think of
something to do about it and share your ideas with the others.

A4. Sniff
After the trail turns north, it proceeds for 200 yards and then turns northwest
again. Forty feet to the north of that turn is an insidious plant monster called a
mantrap (see Detail Map A4). It appears similar to a huge, 24-foot-tall weed, with
bell-like flowers on its stem and five large, traplike leaves. It does not attack
with the leaves; it merely waits until prey climbs in voluntarily.
Use the results of saving throw B (vs. poison). All victims within 60 feet become
fascinated by the mantrap's odor and leave the trail heading north. Those attracted
go to the body of the plant and voluntarily climb into one of the four leaves
unless prevented by their comrades. Once entered, a leaf closes about the victim,
inflicting a number of points of acid damage per round equal to the victim's AC
rear (minimum of 1 point per round). Items exposed to the acid must be saved for
immediately (see chart below) and at the beginning of each turn (not round)
thereafter. All metal receives a +2 bonus.

SAVING THROW CHART:

ITEMS VS. ACID (standard 1d20 roll)

Bone or Ivory 11
Ceramic 4
Cloth 12
Crystal or Vial 6
Glass 5
Leather or Book 10
Liquid 15
Metal, hard 7
Metal, soft/Jewelry 13
Mirror, glass 12
Parchment/Paper 16
Stone (small) or Gem 3
Wood or Rope, thin 9
Wood or Rope, thick 8

The victims can be pulled free only if the plant is killed or if the attacking leaf
and branch are cut off by an edged weapon. Treat each leaf-stalk as AC 6, hp 10.
Damage to a leaf-stalk is not counted against the monster's total hit points.
The fascination comes from a pollen released from the plant. This is a poisonous
effect, not a magical one. It can be dispelled by the passage of time (24 hours
spent out of range), the burning of the plant, or magical remedies against poison
(slow poison or neutralize poison, Keoghtom's Ointment, etc.). However, if the
inhaled pollen is neutralized while the victim is still within range of the
mantrap, the victim must make another saving throw vs. the poison/ fascination
immediately. Do not use pre-rolled saving throws if this occurs.

A5. Watcher
>From the mantrap bend, the trail proceeds northwest for 212 yards (three map
diagonals), then turns north again. Twenty-five yards before that turn, the trail
crosses an unusually flat, hard, cleared area that is 12 yards wide. This is the
remains of an old road which once led from the city (now ruins) to the coast. No
large trees grow on the old road; only shrubs and small plant growth can survive on
it. It is not visible from above, as the branches of nearby trees intertwine to
form a thick canopy.
Buzzing over the road to the north of the trail at this point are three giant
dragonflies, which attack as soon as the party arrives. Standing motionless at the
edge of the road just south of the trail is a giant mantis. It remains unnoticed,
blending perfectly with the underbrush, unless a detect invisibility spell or some
other means is used. The mantis does not attack at this time. If spotted and
attacked, it flees.
The mantis is watching for easy prey. During the melee with the dragonflies, if one
or two characters (not three or more) back up to the south edge of the path, the
mantis reaches out quietly and carefully. It grabs one victim from behind with its
forelimbs (2d6 points of damage). The victim is not silenced but is immobile. Use
AC rear hereafter. During the next and following rounds, the mantis bites the
victim while turning about and heading south down the old roadway (6" rate). It
cannot fly in this terrain. If pursued and attacked, it flees from missile or
magical attacks (still holding its victim) but stops and fights if attacked hand-
to-hand.
The mantis never attacks if three or more characters back off from the dragonfly
melee, or if none back off. It chooses to remain hidden to await other prey.
The dragonflies gain a +2 bonus to all initiative rolls. In play, add the bonus to
your roll, and have the player with the highest Dexterity roll for the party. The
Dexterity modifier (if applicable) may be added to the PCs roll. Because of the
dragonflies' high-speed darting and hovering, the following combat effects apply:

Dragonflies WIN initiative: Immune to hand-held weapons, AC -1 vs. missile fire

Dragonflies LOSE (or TIE) initiative: AC 1 vs. missile fire

A6. Continue
The party can continue up the path or take the old road. Either way, no encounters
occur before they reach the ruins. However, one noteworthy bit of information is
obtained at the point where the path again crosses the old road.
An old trap lies at that point, now obvious and easily avoided. It consists of four
spears, their points discolored by poison (now harmless), mounted on a spear-
throwing contraption made of branches. The ground is trampled, and there are many
footprints of froglike humanoids in this area. The footprints were made by
Bullywugs, but the characters may think otherwise. Both the trail and the road lead
to the ruins.

The Ruins
A maze lies 15 feet below the old city, heaps of rubble marking the entranceways at
each of its four corners. The floors and walls are stone. The ceiling, at ground
level, is a transparent force field. The stone is very tough and enchanted besides;
digging does not penetrate it, spikes cannot be hammered into it, and so forth.
However, a pass-wall spell can cause a part of the wall to disappear for the spell
duration, producing a hole 5 feet tall, 8 feet wide, and 10 feet deep.
Each door within the maze is made of a shiny, reddish metal unknown to the
characters (silicon-steel). No hinges, locks, latches, or doorknobs can be found.
All doors open by themselves when touched; no "open doors" roll is needed. When any
door is touched, it slides downward into the floor until its top is flush with the
stone, leaving a flat surface. The door remains in that position until closed (via
the control room in the center of the maze) or until it closes itself (as given in
some descriptions). Unless a description mentions that a door closes, assume that
once opened it remains open. Whenever a door remains open, put an "0" beside it on
your Maze Map. Later, you'll need to know which doors are still open.

Zap
The maze appears to be easy to solve, but there is actually only one route through
it. Your DM's map is marked with several blockages, each shown by an asterisk (*).
These blockages are invisible and nonmagical disintegrators that register as traps
if a clerical find traps spell is used.
A distintegrator may be placed in a door or doorway or may simply block a corridor.
The passage of one foot or more of material through a disintegrator activates the
zapper, destroying that portion of the material which has passed through. Thus, a
15-inch stick inserted through a disintegrator area suddenly goes "zap," and the
character is left holding a 3-inch stick, cleanly cut off. A small object thrown
through a disintegrator is not destroyed and does not betray the existence of the
disintegrator. Only objects or creatures at least one foot in length or breadth are
affected.
Nothing and nobody gets a saving throw against the disintegration. All large
objects and creatures, magical or otherwise, are affected. Disintegrators do not
block spells.
With the clues provided, the players should realize that something is fishy and
will probably test ahead of them with the sticks found just inside the southeast
entrance. But if your players are a little dense, and their characters just go
strolling in, you may want to give them one chance since you don't want to wipe out
a character through sheer ignorance. If desired, the first time a character walks
into a disintegrator allow a saving throw vs. death (not a pre-rolled saving
throw). If successful, the character feels tingly and jumps back in time. If
failed, the character is reduced to 0 hit points but still falls back before being
disintegrated. Quick curing can restore the character with no ill effects except
for hit point loss. Don't be this lenient more than once per party. The second
time, ZAP! The victim disappears with all equipment carried, permanently lost.

Visitors
Looking up from within the maze, characters can easily see the treetops and
(depending on the angle, walls, etc.) the central obelisk. Snakes, spiders, wasps,
and dragonflies occasionally move over the maze, though they cannot pass through
the force field. Describe some of them now and then as they pass overhead. A large
snake or two might even start to follow above the characters, looking for a way to
get at the adventurers.

Detect Magic
The clerical spell offers no chance to determine a specific type of effect, only
dim or strong magic. The magic-user spell has a 10% chance of detecting the type of
magic (illusion, enchantment, etc.). Smileys wand of magic detection has a 100%
chance of determining the type of magic if the user merely concentrates for a full
round on the dweomer detected. This wand may become very useful in the scenario,
but do not remind the players. Merely confirm this information if asked.

Sample Maze Journey

Even if the players have a map, the trip through the maze can quickly become
tedious. The following suggestions may help you keep things moving.
When characters are passing through the maze, describe their route quickly and
clearly until they get to a decision point. Avoid wasting time. Have one player be
the caller for the group's decisions. Here is an example. The PCs have entered the
northeast corner of the maze.

DM: "Which way, south or west?" Caller: "Uh, let's try west."
DM: "Okay. You go west, U-turn back east, U-turn again west, and can go into a dead
end or turn left. Which?"
Caller: "We'll check out the dead end, slowly, with a stick."
DM: "You don't find anything at all, even with a thorough search. Want to go south
and west, or go back to the entrance?"
Caller: "Go south and west."
DM: "You round the corner, but before you come to the open area the stick goes ZAP!
You have no choices; you must go back."
Caller: "Okay, go back."
DM: "You wind around until you're back at the entrance. South?"
Caller: "OK."
DM: "You go south, then west, then turn south, but before you can get to a choice,
there's another 'ZAP!' Scratch another stick."

If the characters are using sticks regularly, assume that they continue to do so.
Don't zap someone because they didn't specifically mention using a stick. Be kind,
giving everyone a chance to play.
There are not enough sticks at the southeast entrance of the maze to test all the
disintegrator areas. Characters may gather more sticks before they enter, but don't
suggest this to them. The best way to keep track of the sticks seems to be this:
keep a record of the total number of usable feet of sticks remaining (probably
starting with 20, those in the bundle). Allow each character to gather another 10
sticks comfortably. Warn them that carrying more than 10 additional sticks will
cause encumbrance and possible delays in melees. After entering the maze,
characters may backtrack, exit, gather sticks, and return. After passing Room 2,
however, their exit from the maze is blocked.

Ruins Encounter Key

B1. The Clearing

If the party approaches by the trail or road, read the following to the players. If
they enter the area from the air, run the battle with the treetop creepy-crawlies
first, describing this area as needed.

>>Ahead, the jungle appears to thin out. Amongst the trees, you catch glimpses of
crumbled stone walls and approach cautiously. The trees end abruptly, and you see a
huge area, cloaked in jungle shadows. Standing tall and clean in the center of the
area is a large stone spire, 50 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide at its base. It
reaches to within 20 feet of the treetop canopy.
The area around the spire is roughly circular, about 400 feet across. Tree branches
and vines form a complete canopy overhead, shielding the area from the sky. The
ground is littered with dead branches and what little can grow on the gloomy jungle
floor. No trees grow within 200 feet of the base of the pillar.
The branches overhead seem to move, but there is no breeze. You realize that the
trees are filled with creeping and flying creatures of various types: spiders,
snakes, dragonflies, wasps, and who knows what else. But they stay in the treetops
and do not descend.
The stone and log ruins that you first glimpsed through the trees form a rough
circle around the pillar, about 200 feet from it. Some rubble lies within the
circle, but not much.

The pillar that the PCs were sent to find is the obelisk, represented by the square
in the center of the DM's Maze Map.
The ruins of buildings lie to all sides of the map, few to the east and west but
many to the north and south. No actual structures remain. The rubble is a foot deep
at most, with many bare spots. If characters search the building ruins, they find
one item from the list below for each turn of searching. Give out the items in the
order listed; no further items are found here.
1. A small broken ceramic jug, decorated with a drawing of a spider.
2. Seven coins made of an unknown reddish metal, each marked with strange runes. A
comprehend languages spell reveals the text as "Garsha Koo" on one side, "One
Sarkum" on the other. That's as clear as it gets. Reading the words does not
guarantee understanding them. The metal is silicon-steel, unknown in this world.
3. A two-inch square piece of fabric made of woven metal of a strange type (again,
silicon-steel).
4. One wand. It is magical, but odd and flexible, made of an unknown substance
similar to plastic. If struck against any hard object, it glows to a 30-foot radius
for one turn, then goes dark. It can be used as often as desired and has no
charges.
5. The skeleton of a froglike human with two neat holes in the skull, one in front
and one behind. (This Bullywug was apparently killed by a laser. The remains are
easily mistaken for a Grippli's.)
6. A clear gem, made of an unknown mineral. (This sand-gem is worth 5,000 gp but is
easily broken, crumbling to worthless sand.)
Keep track of the characters' approximate location in the clearing. The maze on
your map occupies a rectangular area in the center of the clearing. It lies below
ground level and is protected by an invisible ceiling equivalent to a huge wall of
force which cannot be passed or even scratched. Because of the rubble and litter on
the ground, characters may walk over the maze without realizing it. If a character
moves any of the rubble or sticks in this area and looks down, the maze area below
may be dimly seen as a dark space. Light (magical or otherwise) illuminates only a
small part of the maze.
The protective force wall cover extends over the entire obelisk, one-half inch from
its surface at all points.
The sticks and rubble above the maze can be easily cleared in 16 man-turns of work
(eight characters working for two turns, four turns for four characters, etc.). If
the characters do not catch on that something is below them, have one character
trip on a branch and almost fall into a hole, only to bang his or her nose on the
invisible covering of the maze. When the characters have cleared some or all of the
area, read the following to the players:

>>With a little work, you uncover a wondrous sight. A maze lies below you,
surrounding the central pillar. With the area cleared, you can easily map the whole
thing if you take two or three turns to do so.

If the characters do not take your hint to map the maze, try to subtly encourage
them to do so. Otherwise, the players will spend so much time mapping as they go
that very little will be accomplished from here on.
When the characters have spent the time to map the maze, hand them their map of the
ruins and say:

>>You are standing on a perfectly clear but impenetrable surface which covers the
whole maze. The floor of the maze seems to be stone, about 15 feet below you. The
walls are also stone, about 6 inches thick. The tops of the walls seem to lie just
below your feet.
There are a dozen intact buildings in the maze. Four are octagonal, four
rectangular, and four irregular ones are in the center area near the pillar. All
the buildings have doors made of a strange-looking metal.
There seem to be openings at the four corners of the maze. Each of these lies below
some old surface ruins. Near the southeast corner (point A on your map) lies an
armored skeleton with some unidentifiable bundles.

B2. Entry
At any or all of the four corners, characters may move the rubble with a little
digging. When this is done, the rubble cascades down to reveal a slide or pit
leading to the open entrance to the maze. Characters have no problems climbing or
sliding down to any entranceway. These rubble slides are not traps, but are
detectable by the dwarven detect unsafe floors ability.
The characters may try to enter at all four corners, but will be blocked by
disintegrators from continuing very far at all but the northwest entrance.
The old human skeleton at point A is clad in non-magical plate mail and shield, now
corroded and worthless. Some of the bones are broken, and some show signs of bite
marks and gnawing. All the limbs are somewhat out of place. Part of the victim
appears to have been eaten a few years ago, but most of the body has simply rotted
away, encased in its armor.
Three bundles lie near the body. One is a moldy leather backpack containing normal
equipment, now rotted (blanket, food, some candles, etc.) and various normal coins
worth a total of 100 gp. The second bundle is a large sack. It contains a rotten
mass of something unidentifiable and nothing more. The third bundle is a bunch of
20 wooden branches, each about 15 inches long.
In front of the skeleton (by the asterisk on your DM's map) lie two short sticks.
These seem very similar to those in the bundle but are only three inches long. One
end of each stick is broken, as if it had been torn from a tree. The other end is
cut off very cleanly. The victim used these sticks to test the area ahead (see Zap
above).

The Maze
Room 1. Head

>>This octagonal room is empty except for a stone pedestal which stands in the
exact center of the room. The pedestal is 4 feet tall and 1 foot in diameter. Atop
it sits a golden object, a 5-inch tall bust of a clean-shaven human with a hooked
nose, bushy eyebrows, and short hair.
The bust is made of solid gold. If a detect invisibility spell is used, or if a
thief successfully finds traps, characters notice that the bust rests on an inner
circle atop the pedestal�a crack, possibly indicating a movable center. Success at
removing traps means that a small wedge has been pushed down into the crack,
jamming the center piece so that it cannot move.
Detect magic reveals that the bust is magical. Concentration reveals that the
dweomer is an enchantment. Further concentration may reveal a like dweomer below
the bust (a ring), and still more concentration may reveal a faint but definite
evocation farther below the bust, within the pedestal.
A dispel magic spell used on the pedestal does not change anything. The stone is
partially galena, a lead ore, and blocks such attempts.
If the bust is lifted, a ring is revealed. The bottom of the bust has been hollowed
out, and the ring sits on the stone beneath it. If the trap has not been defused,
lifting the bust causes the central stone cylinder to slide upward. One foot of it
rises from the pedestal, releasing a fireball explosion that fills the room and
overflows out the door (or doors, if the door opposite the entry has been opened by
this time). The central cylinder immediately slides back down into the closed
position, leaving the pedestal in its original condition. It will not rise again
unless reset via the controls in Room 9). Sorry, but replacing the bust with an
equal weight, as one famous adventurer proved, does not defuse the trap.
The fireball inflicts 6-36 (6d6) points of damage. Use the results of saving throw
D (vs. spells). Success indicates half damage. Of the 33,500 cubic feet of
explosion, the room accommodates only 10,500 feet. About 23,000 cubic feet expand
out of the room. This covers 15 1/3 map squares (each representing 1500 cubic
feet). If both doors are open, divide the explosion evenly out of each one. You
probably won't need to be exact. The explosion covers a wide area, and most
characters will probably be in range.
The bust weighs 100 pounds and is worth 5,000 gp. The ring is a ring of fire
resistance ( + 4 bonus to saving throw, � 2 damage per die).

Room 2. First Image

>>In the center of this rectangular room is the six-foot-tall head of a man, the
same man as that portrayed by the gold bust from Room 1: hooked nose, short hair,
and so forth. It appears fleshy, alive, and very real, as if a giant were
imprisoned below the floor. The head's eyes are open, staring at the door through
which you have entered.

The image is an illusion. Disbelief has no effect, nor does dispel magic. However,
the thing is harmless and insubstantial. Characters can walk through it. The image
does not respond to anything the characters do except for one simple action.
If the golden bust is shown to the image in this room, the image closes its eyes.
Only then will the exit door open when touched from inside the room. The exit (the
west door in the north wall) does not open, whatever else is tried, as long as the
image has its eyes open. This door closes itself one turn after it is first opened
and does not open when touched on the outside (corridor side). Thus, once all the
characters have passed this door, they cannot go back and are trapped in the maze.
The door closes regardless of any attempts to block it, crushing any object or
spell effect in its way.

Room 3. Bells

>>This octagonal room contains only two small golden bells, both sitting on the
floor in the center of the room. Each has a 3-inch- long handle and a 2-inch-tall
cup.

The bells are solid gold, with gold clappers. Detect magic reveals that one is
magical. Concentration may reveal the dweomer to be an enchantment, and further
concentration may reveal an additional dweomer, an evocation.
If the magical bell is lifted from the floor, a fireball explosion goes off beneath
it, identical to that in Room 1. Damage is 6-6d6) points. Use the results of saving
throw E (vs. spells). Success indicates half damage. Again, the blast spills out of
the room, filling 15 1/3 additional map squares. The nonmagical bell is not trapped
in any way and is worth 20 gp.
The magical bell is a bell of blasting. Each time it is rung, a small gemlike
object (apparent value 1,000 gp) falls from inside it. The gem explodes three
rounds later in a 6d6 fireball unless the bell is placed over it. This action
merely delays the fireball until the bell is again picked up. The bell of blasting
has a value of 7,500 gp if sold in a sizeable town. It has 12 charges remaining;
one charge is used for each fireball. Keep track of the charges remaining.
Characters may ring the bell later, and a delayed blast fireball is produced each
time. If so, players may make the needed saving throws. Do not use any more pre-
made rolls for fireballs.
Either door can be opened easily, whether or not the bells are tampered with.

Room 4. Second Image

>>This rectangular room contains, once again, the six-foot-tall head of the
familiar human with the hooked nose. Again, it is facing the entrance (south door
in the east wall).

Again, the head is an illusion. This time, however, the eyes are closed. The exit
(south door) does not open until the eyes have opened and closed again. The eyes
can only be opened by ringing a bell in the room. Either bell can be used. The eyes
do not close again unless shown the golden bust. Once this procedure has been used,
the south door opens normally. It can be opened from either side.

Room 5. Chalice

>>This octagonal room contains a pedestal in the center, identical to that in Room
1 (4 feet tall, 1 foot across), with a golden chalice sitting atop it.

As in Room 1, the center of the pedestal may be found (via detect invisibility or
find traps) to be a movable cylinder. The solid gold chalice has a 5-inch cup atop
a 3-inch-tall base and stem. The chalice is empty.
Detect magic reveals that the chalice is magical, and that something within the
pedestal is also magical. Concentration may reveal that the chalice bears an
enchantment, as does something in the pedestal. Further concentration may reveal
that an evocation also lies within the pedestal.
If the center of the pedestal is jammed (which occurs if a remove traps attempt is
successful), it does not move. If the chalice is lifted before the trap is jammed,
the central cylinder rises 1 foot, revealing a hole through it. A ring lies in this
hole. No explosion occurs.
After rising, the cylinder immediately returns to its original position. If any
character is standing by the pedestal when the cylinder rises, an attempt may be
made to snatch the ring before the cylinder descends. Have the character make a
normal "to hit" roll as if for missile fire (Dexterity adjustments apply, but not
Strength). If the character hits AC -2, the ring is successfully grabbed. The ring
is another ring of fire resistance. In any event, a small compartment below the
ring is not disturbed. It is this compartment, not the ring, which bears the
evocation, a fire trap. It plays no part here. The pedestal is partly galena, a
lead ore, which foils dispel magic attempts at negating the evocation.
This room may be easily avoided, but the chalice is needed to pass Room 6.
Characters may return to this room easily; the door remains open.

Room 6. Third Image

>>This rectangular room again holds the six-foot image of the now-familiar human
head with the hooked nose. Again, it is in the center of the room.

Again, the head cannot be affected except by certain actions. It faces the entrance
(east door) with its eyes closed. The exit (east door in the north wall) does not
open until the eyes have been opened and closed again. The required procedure runs
as follows:

Step # Action Result

1 Ring a bell. Image opens its eyes.
2 Put liquid in chalice; then show chalice to the image. Liquid disappears.
3 Show golden bust to image. Image closes its eyes.

After the procedure is complete, the exit door opens at a touch.

Only one mistake can cause problems. If the chalice does not contain some liquid
when shown to the image, find the result of the holder's saving throw H (vs.
death). If successful, the victim takes 10 points of damage. If failed, the victim
is reduced to 0 hp but may be recovered by quick curing, with no loss except for
the points of damage. This concludes the use of the pre-made saving throws. Any
further saving throws required must be made by the players as needed.
The liquid can be of any type: water, wine, blood, potion, etc. Interruptions of
the procedure do not cause problems. As soon as the three required actions are
completed, regardless of other activity, the eyes close and the door is free to be
opened.
The exit can only be opened from inside the room. It closes itself one turn after
being opened. Thus, after characters have passed through this room, they cannot
later return (identical to the effect in Room 2).

Room 7. Apples

>>This octagonal room is empty except for a golden serving platter lying on the
floor in the center of the room. Three golden apples rest upon it. The platter is 1
foot wide and 2 feet long. crafted with golden handles on each end. The apples are
3 inches, 4 inches, and 5 inches in diameter.

Detect magic reveals that the tray and apples are magical. Concentration may reveal
that all the dweomers are enchantments, and further concentration may reveal that
the two smallest apples also bear evocations.
The tray is a platter of purity. Any con-sumables placed on its surface become
purified in three rounds. Poisons are negated. Potions, unfortunately, are turned
to pure water. No living thing can be affected, nor
any nonconsumable items. The tray is worth 5,000 gp if sold in a sizeable town.
The apples are apples of chaos. Two have additional dweomers. If an apple of chaos
is thrown, its material form disappears where it lands, but its image remains as a
phantasm affecting all creatures within 40 feet. All victims are affected as if by
the 5th-level illusionist spell chaos, suffering confusion (as the druid spell).
Normal fighters (not paladins or rangers), illusionists, creatures with
Intelligence of 4 or less, and monsters which do not use magic may each make a
saving throw vs. spells to avoid the effect. No other creatures gain a saving
throw. The confusion lasts for 20 rounds, after which the phantasmal apple
disappears. The image and the effect may be removed by a dispel magic spell,
checked against 20th-level magic use. An apple of chaos is worth 3,000 gp if sold
in a sizeable town.
The platter and apples may be picked up and examined without incident. Dispel magic
does not affect them in any way. This room may be easily avoided, but an apple is
needed to pass Room 8. Characters may return to this room easily; the door remains
open.

Room 8. Fourth Image

>>This rectangular room once again holds the six-foot-tall image of the human head
with the hooked nose. Again, it is in the center of the room.
Again, the head cannot be affected except by certain actions. It faces the entrance
(north door in the west wall) with its eyes open. The exit (south door in the east
wall) does not open until the following procedure has been completed in order:
Step# Action Result
1 Show golden bust to image. Image closes its eyes.
2 Ring a bell in the room. Image opens its eyes.
3 Show an apple to the image. Apple disappears.
4 Put liquid in chalice; show chalice to image. Liquid disappears.
5 Show golden bust to image. Image closes its eyes.

After this sequence is complete, the exit may be opened normally. No further
activity of any kind affects the image.
As before, once all the steps are complete, the procedure is finished.
Interruptions do not change the results. Mark off step 1 when the bust is first
shown, then wait for the PCs to complete step 2 (possibly after other actions),
mark it off, wait for step 3, and so forth.
Several incidents may occur if everything is not done perfectly. As before, if the
chalice is shown without liquid in it, the holder of the chalice must make a saving
throw vs. death. If failed, the victim is reduced to 0 hp but may be recovered by
fast curing, with no losses except for the points of damage. If successful, the
victim takes 20 points of damage (double the previous situation).
In addition, whenever an apple is shown to the image, the apple disappears, whether
or not this occurs at the proper point in the procedure. The apple does not
disappear if the image's eyes are closed and it is not seen. If the apple is one of
the two smaller ones (the ones with evocation dweomers in addition to
enchantments), a small gemlike object remains when the apple disappears. The gem
has an apparent value of 1,000 gp but explodes in three rounds as a fireball,
inflicting 6-36 (6d6) points of damage. Each victim may make a saving throw vs.
spells to take half damage. The room contains only 9,000 cubic feet of volume, so
24,500 cubic feet of fireball spill out into the nearby corridors (evenly through
all open doors) covering 16 1/3 map squares.
Thus, the party could conceivably lose all their apples in this encounter by
showing more of them to the image than necessary. Note also that the magical bell
spews forth fireballs with the same effect. (See Room 3 for details.)
Whatever else occurs, if all three apples are shown to the head, the procedure is
completed. The eyes close and the exit is freed.
The exit closes itself one turn after being opened and cannot be opened from the
outside (corridor side). It crushes anything left to block it.
By this time, the party probably has an excellent idea of the route from here to
the obelisk. A pass-wall spell may be used to avoid all interaction with the image,
allowing all the apples to be kept.

Room 9. Center

>> As you approach the center, the base of the obelisk is visible amidst four
buildings. There is no sign of life or treasure.

Each of the buildings contains various interesting items, as detailed below. The
corridors around them can be freely explored (except for the disintegrator areas,
of course). None of the doors to the central buildings are disintegrators. Whenever
any door is opened (in the usual way), a short corridor is revealed leading to a
lighted area. The light always seems dim, as if from torchlight. In the room
descriptions, treat the entryways as corridors leading to a 20-foot-square room
area.

Room 9a. Northwest Building

>>In the southeast corner of the room, a massive golden throne sits in the alcove,
facing northwest. Its seat, back, and arms are lined with plush velvet cloth.
Sitting in the throne, apparently asleep, is a familiar figure, a clean-shaven
human male with a hooked nose and short hair. He is wearing an orange robe and a
pair of red boots.

He is Torgel, a 13th-level neutral magic-user, known to the characters by name and

reputation. The party can easily surprise him; he is sound asleep and not expecting
company. If awakened and confronted by the party, he immediately surrenders and
negotiates.
Torgel uses alignment language only if absolutely necessary to convince the party
of his peaceful intentions. He does not reveal his level nor the spells he has
memorized. If permitted, he tells the following strange story:

>>"Thank the Maker you've finally come. I knew my king would not leave me to die of
tedium and loneliness in this place. It's been so long, so long since I've talked
to anyone but myself.
"About two years ago, I think, I set out by command of the king with a group of
brave adventurers much like yourselves in search of this obelisk. We lost a few
members to giant insects and spiders, but pushed on. Then we were ambushed by the
frogmen, hordes of them. In the fray, I was forced to teleport out. Somehow I
appeared here, next to the obelisk, trapped in the maze. I was trying to teleport
home to get help. I don't know what went wrong. And my spell book...it's gone. I
must have lost it in the battle."

Torgel knows from experience that the maze can be deadly. While exploring the maze,
he lost a large salami (from Room 9b) and the tips of two fingers when he
unexpectedly walked into a disintegrator field. He has since given up all attempts
to escape. His resolve to use his time of captivity in meditation and contemplation
failed over a year ago, and he is half mad from boredom and eager for escape. He
knows of the control panels in Room 9C but has not experimented with them. He had
planned to do so in another year or two, if no help came.
If not watched continuously, Torgel may find a convenient time to cast his geas
spell on a party member, ordering him or her to do everything possible to return
him safely to the capital city. If caught out, Torgel reveals the geas. The party
must help him and keep him safe or lose their comrade. Dispel magic and remove
curse spells do not affect a geas. Only a wish can negate it.
Any person sitting in the throne in Room 9A inadvertently provides the giant head
image used by the maze machinery. The maze runs the images in Rooms 2, 4, 6, and 8,
and creates the bust found in Room 1. Torgel actually has no idea of what was
happening. He does remember some odd dreams about waking, sleeping, eating, and
drinking.

Room 9b. Northeast Building

This room contains a magical tree, 10 feet tall, and a magical pool of water. If
any creature in the room thinks of a type of food, buds appear on the tree
branches. They blossom out in two rounds, opening to reveal the food desired:
steak, pudding, salad, bread, or whatever! The tree produces an unlimited amount of
food and has kept Torgel well fed in his captivity.
The pool is pure water, only an inch deep and a foot across. However, it cannot be
emptied and magically remains full at all times.
There is nothing else in this room. The tree apparently grows from the solid stone.
The pool is merely a slight indentation in the floor. If the tree is harmed in any
way, it ceases to produce food. If the water is evaporated by heat, the pool does
not refill.

Room 9c. Southwest Building

>>The north and east interior walls of this room are covered with levers, dials,
buttons, and other technological devices. Two plush chairs sit before them, one for
each wall.

There is nothing else in the room. Nothing in the room is a trap. The devices
control the following things:

Main Switches
One large toggle switch is located on each wall. These switches can be moved up or
down.
Nothing in this room functions unless the main switch on the north wall is in the
up position; it is currently down. When the main power switch is pushed up, the
south and west (outer) walls of the room light up, showing a phantasmal image of
the entire maze from above, just like the players' map. Many of the doors on the
map are lit with a green light (see Buttons, below).
The switch on the east wall is up and will not move unless the main power switch is
on. If power is on, pulling this switch down causes a message to appear across the
image map,
flashing every two seconds. It is in an unknown tongue. A comprehend languages
spell reveals that it says, "Warning: Defense Cutoff Armed. Switch Up to Negate.
Turn Power Off to Cut Off." If the main power switch is pulled down while the
message is flashing, the defense is turned off. If this occurs, the force field
above the maze and around the obelisk disappears. Remember, this switch cannot be
moved while the power is off.
If the power is later restored, a different message is displayed, again in the
strange tongue: "Warning: Defense Field Off. Push Defense Switch Up to Restore." If
the large switch on the east wall is pushed back into the up position, the force
field returns and remains, even if the control room power is cut off.
There is no visible change when the force field is turned off. Characters may not
realize that they are free to climb or fly out of the maze. It would be best,
however, for the players to leave the force field on to protect the maze and
obelisk while they return and report to the king. The PCs can easily leave the maze
by retracing their route on the map. Torgel suggests this if the characters do not
think of it themselves.

Buttons
There are 80 buttons, 20 per row, two rows
per wall. They control all the doors in the maze. The upper buttons cause the doors
to open. The lower ones make them close. Starting at the left side of the north
wall, the first four buttons control the doors to Room 1, the next 12 are for Room
2, and so forth. When a door is open, the corresponding door on the image map
lights up in green. When a door is closed, the light goes off. Many of the doors on
the image map are currently green.

Levers
There are two levers along each wall. All four are in the up position, but may be
pulled down. After being pulled down, a lever automatically returns to the up
position unless firmly held. Holding a lever causes no further effect. The left
lever on the north wall causes all the doors in the maze to close. The right lever
on that wall causes all the doors to open. The left lever on the east wall causes
all the active disintegrators in the maze to light up on the image map in red. If
pulled again, this lever reverses the effect. The right lever turns off all the
disintegrators in the maze, and their red lights go out. The PCs will, of course,
want to turn off all the disintegrators before they try to leave.

Dials
There are dozens of dials mounted on the walls. Whenever a button is pushed or a
lever is activated, various dials turn, and give readings which cannot be
interpreted.
The power circuitry for the dials, levers, and switches does not run through wires.
Veins of metallic ore in the walls act as a printed circuit of rock. Only the north
and east walls bear these circuits. The outer walls are normal solid stone. A pass-
wall spell through the circuitry results in a powerful electrical explosion filling
the entire building and spilling out into all the corridors of Area 9 if any door
is open. Victims in Room 9c get no saving throws. Any other victim may make a
saving throw vs. spells to take half damage, but with a - 4 penalty to the roll.
The explosion inflicts 10-200 (10d20) points of electrical damage.

Room 9d. Southeast Building

This storage room contains a stack of 300 sheets of an unknown metal. Each sheet is
2 feet wide by 5 feet long and less than 1/32 of an inch thick. The metal is
silicon-steel and cannot be damaged except by magic. Each sheet weighs 100 coin (10
pounds). The metal may only be sold as a curiosity; it cannot be easily worked
except at incredibly high temperatures. It is worth 100 gp per sheet as a novelty.
There is a secret compartment under the floor of this room. The compartment can be
detected by a detect invisibility spell but cannot be opened except by a knock
spell. Within lies an odd device. Attached to one end of an 8-inch-long handle are
a roller and a short knife. If two sheets of the strange metal are overlapped by
less than 1 inch, and the overlap is rolled with this device, the metal fuses
together to form a single unbroken sheet. No crack or edge remains. The knife edge
cuts the metal easily with no force needed. If this tool is found, the value of the
metal is 10 times that given above, but only if the tool is sold along with it.

Conclusion of Part 1
If and when the characters escape from the maze, they may easily return to the
ship. The denizens of the jungle do not bother them during this trip unless they
take the aerial route. Tell the players that their characters return victorious,
with good news for the king. The obelisk has been found, along with several strange
and wonderful new items.

PART 2 - PLAYER'S REFERENCE SHEET

Normal Equipment
Each character has the following items not listed on the character sheets. PCs may
leave any or all items on board ship while they explore.

Armor: 1 spare set of armor (& shield where applicable)

Arms: 1 of each weapon of proficiency Clothing: Normal clothing as desired, 3
outfits maximum
Herbs: 1 herb pack, with belladonna, garlic, and wolfsbane Provisions: 2 iron
rations Misc. Equipment: 1 backpack, 5 wax candles, 1 bone mapcase, 1 silver
mirror, 2 flasks oil, a 50-foot rope, 4 large sacks, 4 small sacks, 1 waterskin
(full), 3 iron spikes, 1 tinder box, 2 torches
Special Items: In addition to the items listed above and on the character sheets,
each PC may take one item not listed in the Players Handbook. The item may be no
larger than 1 cubic foot in size or 20 pounds in weight and may not interfere with
the AD&D� game rules. It cannot be a weapon of any sort, cannot be alive, and
cannot be magical. Sample items: sack of flour or marbles, wand-like stick, apple
pie, etc.
In addition to the above items, spell casters may take any extra items needed for
their craft (belt pouches, prayer beads, etc.).
The following items are also available to the PCs. They are stored on the boat:
10 human-sized suits of leather armor, 30 sailor's caps, and 30 raincoats
2 goats (male & female), 1 pig (female), 5 piglets, 1 mule with 1 saddle, 2 saddle
blankets, 1 set large saddlebags, 1 harness, and a bit & bridle
4 large iron boxes, 4 large wooden chests, 20 large sacks, and 10 small sacks
10 hooded (ship's) lanterns, 20 torches, 4 tinder boxes, and 1 barrel (50 flasks)
of oil
6 barrels of fresh water, 1 barrel of rum, 80 standard rations, 30 iron rations,
one ship's stove (attached), and food for the animals
10 quivers (each with 20 arrows) and 1 ballista (not movable) with 10 bolts
5 flags: 1 of the PCs' country, 1 of the capital city, 1 white (for surrender), 1
red (for warnings), and 1 of unknown design
20 empty flasks (for oil, potions, etc.); 20 iron spikes; 10 poles, each 10' long;
10 ropes, each 50' long; 2 small lifeboats (capacity 12 persons each); 3 grappling
hooks on 50' lines

Expedition Plans
The King's engineer-architects, working with the court wizard and sage, have
designed an elaborate project to move the obelisk without damaging it. The plan
involves surrounding the obelisk with a large scaffold made of heavy timbers, to be
lumbered at or near the site, and reinforced with metal parts brought by ship.
Working from this scaffold, carpenters build a close-fitting wooden sheath upon
which metal pulleys are mounted. An earthen ramp is then built, leading up to
ground level from the floor of the maze. The roadway from the ruins to the beach is
cleared and, if necessary, reinforced. A huge sled is built.
The obelisk is then be raised off its base by dozens of ropes through pulleys on
the scaffold and the obelisk sheath, and the sled pushed underneath it. The needle
will then be lowered, slowly and carefully, to rest on the sled. It can then be
towed to the beach, where a raft will be constructed around it. Finally, by digging
sand and towing with the ships, the needle can be launched for the return trip, to
be towed by two of the vessels.
The obelisk is too large to be affected by magical spells (such as a reversed
enlarge, telekinesis, etc.), but magic might help in other ways.

Resources
The following persons are all sailing in the three ships:

6 player character leaders

25 mercenary soldiers (L1 fighters)
53 carpenters/woodcutters (L0 men)
10 engineer-architects (L0 men)
45 sailors (L1 fighters)
3 navigators (L0 men)
3 ocean-going shipmasters (L3 fighters)

The three ships are identical large merchant vessels:

Masts 2
Hull value 40 hull points (HP)
Length 75 feet
Width 25 feet

Movement rates:
Normal sail 3 mph
Maximum sail 5 mph
Normal oar 1/4 mph
Maximum oar 1/2 mph (2 turn maximum burst)

Special Note: When towing the obelisk home, the ships move at half normal speed
under best conditions.

Acceleration time (standstill to normal speed): 1 turn

Sinking time (hull value surpassed, time to sink): 1d10+2 turns
Grappling chance: 75% (opponent ship has 25 % chance of removing grapnels)
Damage repair: if damaged for 12 HP (at most), repairs may be made at the rate of 1
HP per repair crew (10 men) per hour. Damage exceeding 12 HP cannot be repaired
until the ship returns to port, but the first 12 HP can always be repaired.

Much equipment has been brought for use in the project, including all the needed
hardware, tools, and heavy rope (capable of 10,000 pounds' pull). The necessary
lumber must be cut at or near the site.

Ship Weapons
The vessels cannot ram. One ship is equipped with a light catapult, with 30
boulders for ammunition. The other two ships have ballistae, each with 30 ballista
bolts. These siege engines can only be operated by NPCs trained in their use�the
sailors.
A ballista fires one large, spearlike missile every four rounds when manned by a
crew of two. It may fire every two rounds with a crew of four. A ballista may be
aimed at any target within a 45 degree arc if it is at least 8 feet away. A closer
target can easily dodge. The missile is buried directly at the target, with little
arching of trajectory. A ballista may be repositioned to aim in an entirely
different direction only by a crew of four, and it requires three rounds to do so.
A ballista may easily be fired at a target level with it. Ballistae inflict no
structural or hull damage. They are anti-personnel weapons.
A light catapult fires its ammunition once every four rounds with the minimum crew
of four. No benefits are gained by adding more crewmen. It may be aimed at any
target within a 15 degree arc and a minimum of 150 yards away. The missile traces a
high arched path. Catapults may be used effectively against objects or creatures.
Note that the damages given below are hit points. Against an object, a light
catapult inflicts 4 Structural Points (SP) of damage.
Range Fire Damage
Weapon Min Max Rate Crew Sm-Md Lg
Ballista 8' 960' 1/2 2-4 2d6 3d6
1/4" 32"
Catapult (Light) 450' 900' 1/4 6-10 2d12 4d4
18" 30"

Ranges are given in both feet and scale inches. Crew figures are minimum-maximum.
For the catapult only, a bonus "to hit" applies if the target is stationary.

PART 3 - PLAYER'S REFERENCE SHEET

Treasure Listing
The following items may have been found during the two prior trips to the jungle.
Adjust this list to reflect the items actually acquired. Salable items were sold
and the cash was divided in shares.

Cash and Salable Items

GP Value Item
100 Various normal coins (from the body in the ruins)
5,000 Gold bust of Torgel, 5" tall (found in maze)
20 Golden bell, 3" handle, 2" tall cup (found in maze)
10,000 Golden throne with velvet trim (found in maze)
6,000 Kings reward
600 Gems from natives
250 Granite, life-sized human bust (found while lumbering)
500 125-pound elephant tusk (found while lumbering)
1,000 40-pound turquoise rock (found while lumbering)
1,000 150-pound block of quartz (found while lumbering)
5,000 Odd gem (found while lumbering)
2,400 Pirates' coins
15,000 1 pirate magic-user's spell book
30,000 Final reward from king
76,870 Total

The haul was divided into seven shares (Digger was excluded), and Montana was paid
her share, 2160 gp. The remaining 74,710 gives each adventurer about 12,451 gp in a
six-way split.

Curiosities
Objects made of a strange reddish metal: 13 coins bearing strange runes, which say
"Garhsa Koo" on one side, "One Sarkum" on the other
4 similar coins but without runes, worn flat 2-inch square piece of fabric made of
woven metal strands Spoon-fork utensil (spork)

Bones, etc.:
100 pounds of various old bones Humanoid skeleton with four arms Batrachian
skeleton with two neat, 1/2" holes in the skull, one in front and one behind
Batrachian skull with neat, 1/2" holes, as above
8-foot-long gorgosaurus skull (a carnivorous dinosaur)
Mummified shrunken humanoid head, intact

Other:
Humanoid made of tin, holding an axe Rusty oil can
Small broken ceramic jug with a drawing of a spider on it
3 normal iron keys on a key ring Old rotting wooden chest (bottomless)
4 rusty axe heads, no handles Odd amulet with a spider inscribed on each side, no
chain

Magic Items
Ioun Stone +1 (dusty rose color)
Ring of Fire Resistance (2 were found, but 1 was given to Montana)
Ring of Warmth (giant sized), a solid brass bracelet 3" in diameter
Bag of Holding, 500 lb. limit (found while lumbering)
Guisarme +3 (pole arm, found while lumbering)

Magical chalice, 5" cup atop 3" tall base and stem; no discernable magical effect
Wand of Light, odd and flexible, made of an unknown substance. If struck against
any hard object, it glows to 30 foot radius for 1 turn, then goes dark. It can be
used as often as desired and has no charges.

Golden bell of blasting, 3" handle and 2" tall cup; solid gold, with a golden
clapper. When rung, a small gemlike object (apparent value 1,000 gp) falls from
inside it and explodes 3 rounds later in a 6d6 fireball unless the bell is placed
over it. This action merely delays the fireball until the bell is again picked up.
5 charges remain. Value: 7,500 gp.

Platter of Purity: Golden serving platter, 1 foot wide and 2 feet long, with golden
handles on each end. Any consumables placed on its surface becomes purified in 3
rounds. Poisons are negated. Potions are turned to pure water. No living thing can
be affected, nor any non-consumable items. Value: 5,000 gp.

Apple of Chaos, 5" diameter, gold. If thrown, its material form disappears where it
lands, but its image remains as a phantasm, affecting all creatures within 40 feet.
All victims are affected as if by the 5th-level illusionist spell chaos, suffering
confusion (as the druid spell). Normal fighters (not paladins or rangers),
illusionists, creatures with Intelligence of 4 or less, and monsters which do not
use magic may each make a saving throw vs. spells to avoid the effect. No other
creatures gain a saving throw. The confusion lasts for 20 rounds, until the
phantasmal apple disappears. The image and the effect may be removed by a dispel
magic spell checked against 20th-level magic use. Value: 3,000 gp.

Special Items (Party Owned)

400 sheets of reddish metal (300 from the ruins and 100 from the native tribal
Mother), each 2' X 5', less than 1/32" thick. The metal cannot be damaged except by
magic. Each sheet weighs 100 coin (10 pounds). Value: 100 gp per sheet, or 1,000 gp
per sheet if the cutter (below) is thrown in free. Cutter: An odd device, about 8"
long. Most of it is handle, with a roller and a short knife edge opposite each
other at one end. If two sheets of the strange metal are slightly overlapped, and
the overlap is then rolled with this device, the metal fuses together to form a
single, unbroken sheet. No crack or edge remains. The knife edge cuts the metal
easily with no force needed. (Note: Montana gets a one-seventh share of the value
of 300 sheets.)

Trade Goods and Values

The sarkum (Chak monetary unit) is used to determine the values of both Chak and
human trade goods. Chak trade goods are offered at a fixed rate. The rates offered
for human goods vary with King Sarkum's reaction to the party.

Chak Trade Goods

The Chak offer only three trade items: nak metal, cutter tools, and lightwands.
Nak cannot be worked except with a special tool and cannot be damaged except by
that tool, magic, or extremely high temperatures. It reflects lightwand beams (see
below) and is suitable for strong enchantment. Nak metal is worth one sarkum per
square foot. A nak cutter tool is worth 10 sarkums.
Although nak is the metal used to make the coins known as sarkums, the cutter tool
is not suitable for making counterfeit coins. Any and all attempts at making
counterfeit sarkums from nak, short of a wish, fail.
A lightwand produces soft light to a 30-foot radius when struck against a hard
object. This effect lasts for one turn per strike. The wand can be used as often as
desired and uses no charges. The average wand lasts for a year or two before
burning out. A lightwand is worth two sarkums.
A lightwand can also be fitted with a special control ring, about 2 inches across.
This ring focuses and amplifies the light, creating a damaging beam when the ring
is slid along the wand. The maximum rate of fire is 2 beams per round. The ray has
a range of 120 feet and can inflict 2-16 (2d8) points of damage to a target
creature with a successful "to hit" roll. Any target is treated as AC 10, modified
only for magic and dexterity bonuses. Bracers are counted for full value. The
victim may make a saving throw vs. wands to take half damage. There are no class
restrictions on the use of the lightwand weapon, but weapon proficiency applies.
Fog or other obscurement cuts the range to 10 feet or less. The rings use one
charge per shot and have 20 charges when new. A lightwand control ring is worth 20
sarkums when fully charged.

Calculating Trade Value of Goods

The Chak purchase most magic items and giant insects (food) at a price based upon
the Experience Point Value (XPV) of the specific piece, modified by the Reaction
Score (see below for calculations). Good dragons are purchased at the flat rate of
one sarkum per hit point. The Chak make no offer whatsoever on evil dragons and
offer a price based upon only 10% XPV (base) for scrolls, magic armor, and magic
weapons.

Reaction Modifiers to Trade Values of Items

The values of trade goods vary by King Sarkum's reactions to the characters.
Calculate the reaction score as follows:

Base reaction score ............................. 50

If PCs were not imprisoned .................. +15
Giving Ackack any gift .......................... +10
3 or more PCs lay prone before Sarkum +5
Giving Sarkum a gift* (apply one only):
normal item, value 500 gp or more ....... +5
magic item ............................................ +10
Insulting Ackack or Sarkum .................. -10
All PCs refuse to lay prone ................... -5

Each bonus or penalty to reaction applies once only. Finally, modify the total by
the reaction adjustment (if any) for the Charisma of the PC who speaks for the
party. When the final total is reached, circle or note which line to use for future
reference.
Note: The party carries nothing to King Sarkum if they are imprisoned, but may gain
this bonus by offering an item owned. If anything is offered in this manner, all
the party possessions are brought to the king's chamber and returned to the PCs.

Examples
Best: Party does not attack and is not imprisoned ( +15), gives a gem to Ackack
(+10), a potion to the king (+10), and elects Ghost or Finder (CHA 14, for +10%
bonus) to speak for them. Most of the party members lay prone when introduced to
the king ( +5), and everyone is relatively polite. Total reaction score is 100.
Worst: Party attacks and is imprisoned, gives no gifts to anyone, and calls Ackack
a creepy spider ( -10). All refuse to lay prone before Sarkum ( -5) and elect
Blondy, Slim, or Blaze (no adjustment) to speak for them. Total reaction score is
35.

Determining Item Values

Apply the following values for trade goods, based on Sarkum's total reaction score.
These values are not negotiable but may be modified if proper actions are taken
(such as offering gifts) during negotiations.

TRADE RATIO CHART

(Items XP value per sarkum)

Total Reaction Score (RS) Trade Ratio (TR)

35-40 450
45-50 400
55-60 350
65-70 300
75-80 250
85-90 200
95 150
100 100

Using the Trade Ratio: To determine the price offered for an item, first find its
XP value. The Trade Ratio (TR) found on the chart is the number of XP worth I
sarkum. Divide the items XP value by the Trade Ratio and round off the result to
the nearest tenth.

EXAMPLES
Item RS= 60 70 80 90 100
Potion of Healing(XPV 200) .6 .7 .8 1 2
Potion of Water Breathing (XPV 400) 1.1 1.3 1.6 2 4
Ring of Invisibility (XPV 1500) 4.3 5 6 7.5 15
*Staff of Striking(XPV 6000) 17.1 20 24 30 60
*if fully charged

Items With Charges: Factor the entire XP value of a charged item in proportion to
the charges remaining. For example, if a staff of striking has nine charges left
out of a maximum of 25, its XPV for trade is 36% of 6000, or 2160 XP. If a wand of
illumination has 18 charges left out of a maximum of 100, its XPV for trade is 18%
of 2000, or 360 XP.

Items with Doses: Certain unusual items normally come with multiple doses. Multiply
or divide the XPV given to reflect more or less than the normal number. For
example, a potion of water breathing normally has two doses. If sold with one dose
remaining, the XPV is half that given. If sold with four doses, the XPV is twice
that given.

Giant Insects: Food is purchased at the same rate as magic items, using the Trade
Ratio compared to the XP value for the monster. Keep this information in mind
should you ever decide to go back to the jungle. Live giant insects have normal
value. Dead giant insects are only worth 1/10 their value. XPV for some giant
insects are:

Insect XPV
Giant Wasp 320+4/hp
Giant Dragonfly 525 +8/hp
Giant Mantis 1350+14/hp

PART 2 - RETRIEVAL

The Plan
The king's engineer-architects, working with the court wizard and sage, have
designed an elaborate project to move the obelisk without damaging it. The plan
involves surrounding the obelisk with a large scaffold made of heavy timbers, to be
lumbered at or near the site, and reinforced with metal parts brought by ship.
Working from this scaffold, carpenters make a close-fitting wooden sheath upon
which metal pulleys are mounted. An earthen ramp is built leading up to ground
level from the floor of the maze. The roadway from the ruins to the beach is
cleared and, if necessary, reinforced. A huge sled is built. The obelisk is then
raised off its base by dozens of ropes through pulleys on the scaffold and the
obelisk sheath, and the sled is pushed underneath it. The needle is then lowered,
slowly and carefully, to rest on the sled. It is towed to the beach, where a raft
is constructed around it. Finally, by digging sand and towing with the ships, the
needle is launched for the return trip, to be towed by two of the vessels.

The Fleet
The following persons are involved in this expedition, all sailing in three ships:
6 player character leaders
25 mercenary soldiers (L1 fighters; AC2, hp 1d10)
53 carpenters/woodcutters (L0 men, AC 9, hp 1d4)
10 engineer-architects (L0 men, AC9, hp 1d4)
45 sailors (L1 fighters, AC 8 or 4, hp 1d10)
3 navigators (L0 men, AC 9, hp 1d6)
3 ocean-going shipmasters (L3 fighters, AC 8 or 4, hp 3d10)
The sailors and sea captains do not assist in the land operations. They visit the
PC encampment every four or five days to see how things are going.
Much equipment has been brought for use in the project, including all the needed
hardware, tools, and heavy rope (capable of 10,000 pounds' pull). The necessary
lumber must be cut at or near the site.
The three ships are identical large merchant vessels:
Masts 2
Hull value 40 hull points (HP)
Length 75 feet
Width 25 feet

Movement rates:
Normal sail 3 mph
Maximum sail 5 mph
Normal oar 1/4 mph
Maximum oar 1/2 mph (2 turn maximum burst)

Special Note: When towing the obelisk home, the ships move at half normal speed in
good sailing weather, more slowly if the weather is bad.

Acceleration time (standstill to normal speed): 1 turn

Sinking time (hull value surpassed, time to sink): 1d10+2 turns
Grappling chance: 75% (opponent ship has 25 % chance of removing grapnels)
Damage repair: if damaged for 12 HP (at most), repairs may be made at the rate of 1
HP per repair crew (10 men) per hour. Damage exceeding 12 HP cannot be repaired
until the ship returns to port, but the first 12 HP can always be repaired.

Fire Damage
Fire is a great danger on shipboard. When a ship is struck by any fireball of 5
dice or more, or by a flaming catapult missile, roll 3d6 to determine the ship
damage:

Roll Fire Damage Hull Points of damage

3-7 Light damage 1 HP
8-10 Light-moderate 2-4 HP
11-13 Moderate damage 3-6 HP
14-15 Moderate-heavy 4-8 HP
16-18 Heavy 5-10 HP

Any flaming catapult missile landing on a ship should be immediately doused.

Otherwise, a flaming missile has a 75 % chance of spreading out of control. If this
occurs, roll for fire damage each round until HP are exceeded, then check sinking
time.

Ships' Weapons
The following information may be needed if the frog-men natives are aroused enough
to attack the ships. It will be needed on the return voyage to repel a pirate
attack.
The vessels cannot ram. One ship is equipped with a light catapult, with 30
boulders for ammunition. The other two ships have ballistae, each with 30 ballista
bolts.
A ballista fires one large, spearlike missile every four rounds when manned by a
crew of two. It may fire every two rounds with a crew of four. A ballista may be
aimed at any target within a 45 degree arc if it is at least 8 feet away. A closer
target can easily dodge. The missile is hurled directly at the target, with little
arching of trajectory. A ballista may be repositioned to aim in an entirely
different direction only by a crew of four, and it requires three rounds to do so.
A ballista may easily be fired at a target level with it. Ballistae inflict no
structural or hull damage; they are anti-personnel weapons.
A light catapult fires its ammunition once every four rounds with the minimum crew
of four. No benefits are gained by adding additional crewmen. It may be aimed at
any target within a 15 degree arc and a minimum of 150 yards away. The missile
traces a high arched path. Catapults may be used effectively against objects or
creatures. Note that the damages given below are hit points. Against an object, a
light catapult inflicts 4 Structural Points (SP) (see Damage to Engines).

Range Fire Damage

Weapon Min Max Rate Crew Sm-Md Lg
Ballista 8' 960' 1/2 2-4 2d6 3d6
1/4" 32"
Catapult (Light) 450' 900' 1/4 6-10 2d12 4d4
 18" 30"
Ranges are given in both feet and scale inches. Crew figures are minimum-maximum.

"To Hit"Rolls: A siege engine hits as well as the highest level person in its crew.
A catapult target is treated as AC 0 (regardless of its actual AC). A ballistas
target is AC 10. Thirty of the mercenaries on this adventure have been given
training in siege engines and are placed aboard the appropriate vessels. When the
siege engines are operated by mercenary soldiers, use the "to hit" rolls given
below, subject to the modifications given thereafter.

Ballista: 10 Light Catapult: 20 MODIFIERS

Target is: Target size is:

Stationary +3
Small or Med -2
Moving less than 3" 0
Mount and rider 0
Moving 3 "-12" -3
Giant or medium ship +2
Moving 13 "-24" -5

Special for catapult only: If target is stationary, shots after the first have + 4
bonus to hit, because the range is determined more accurately.

Damage to Engines: The ballista has 2 Structural Points (SP). A light catapult has
4 SP. These are used in much the same way as a ship's Hull Points. The following
attack forms inflict the given amounts of damage, either in Hull or Structural
Points, depending on the target.

Fireball or lightning bolt: 1/2 per level of caster

Catapult missile, light: 4 Boulder, giant-hurled: 4 (or 6 for stone or storm)

Maze Notes
None of the disintegrators in the maze are presently functioning if the PCs turned
them off at the end of the last adventure. Rooms 1-8 in the maze are empty and all
doors are easily opened. The throne in Room 9a is now empty, not trapped, and
movable (800 pounds). Assume that the characters have figured out how to operate
the controls in Room 9c and tell them any details they wish to know. The storage
area in Room 9c is empty.

Exploration
It is likely that the party will explore the nearby area before or during
operations. They may find the Grippli village and the false Bullywug lair while
scouting. If so, use the information given in Native Life for each. If the PCs find
the village(s) on their own, the first visits by each type of native still occur,
but merely for inquisitive reasons, not to summon the party to their village. All
other events proceed normally.
If characters want to explore widely, remind the players that the guards are
probably inadequate for full defense of the operations, and the PCs are needed
nearby. If the party splits, some of them reconnoitering while others remain, do
not allow them to discover the actual Bullywug village. If they spend too much time
scouting, the treetops are full of critters....

Construction Times
The following information is not for the players. The "Actual Days" given below are
valid only if few or no interruptions occur. Count half-days of work where
appropriate, depending on the events.
If asked for estimates, the engineer-architects give the times stated below under
"Est. Days" as they are cautious types.
CONSTRUCTION TIMES

Est. Days Phase of Operation Actual Days

30 Cut lumber 21
30 Build scaffolding and winches 21
4 Build sheath around obelisk, string ropes 2
12 Clear roadway 7
2 Raise obelisk, insert sled, lower obelisk, finish 1
3 Pull obelisk to beach on sled 2
3 Build raft around obelisk, launch 2
84 (12 wks) Total project time 56 (8 wks)

In addition, 2-3 days are spent in setting up camp, settling in, and penetrating
the maze. Sailing time is not included. It takes 10 days' sailing to return to the
ruins and about 20-25 days for the return, towing the obelisk.

Woodcutting
One hundred map squares must be logged to gather enough lumber for the whole
operation. Keep track of the area logged as follows. Ten woodcutters clear one map
square (50 yards across) of usable timber in one day (10 hours) of work. If fewer
men work, or fewer hours are worked, a percentage of a square is logged. For
example, 42 men can clear 4.2 map squares in a day. On Day I, the 53 woodcutters
would normally clear 5.3 map squares, but lose one man (.1 square) and possibly
more. Have the players mark off the approximate number of cleared areas on their
map. The DM should keep track of the exact current total of map squares cleared.
When the total reaches 100 or more, one of the engineer-architects announces that
the logging may end.

Finding Relics
One interesting item is found per five map squares cleared. Determine the item
found by rolling ld20. Mark off items as they are given out; only one of each item
can be found. Items are found by workmen and given to the PC leaders.

1. Humanoid skeleton with four arms

2. Four odd, reddish metal (silicon-steel) coins, worn flat
3. Three normal iron keys on a keyring (useless)
4. Batrachian skull with neat, half-inch holes in front and rear
5. Pouch (bag of holding, 500 Ib. limit, empty)
6. 8-foot-long skull of carnivorous dinosaur (gorgosaurus)
7. 150 pound irregular block of quartz (value 1,000 gp)
8. Granite bust of a human head, lifesize (value 250 gp)
9. Old rotting wooden chest (found to be bottomless)
10. Four rusty axe heads, no handles
11. Mummified shrunken humanoid head, intact
12. One elephant tusk (125 pounds, 500 gp value)
13. I" metal cube (a box, contains dusty rose ioun stone +1)
14. Humanoid statue made of tin, holding axe
15. One pole arm in good shape (guisarme, +3)
16. A rusty oil can
17. Odd amulet with a spider inscribed on each side, no chain
18. Bracelet, a solid brass ring (giant-sized ring of warmth)
19. 40-pound blue-green rock (turquoise, value 1,000 gp)
20. Reddish metal (silicon-steel) spork (spoon-fork utensil)

Clerical Activities
Because the workmen suffer various minor injuries during the operation, the two PC
clerics each need three cure light wounds spells per day to combat normal wear-and-
tear on the workers.
In addition, the jungle climate is unhealthy. If the players are wise, the clerics
cast cure disease spells on everyone, working their way around to treat all the
NPCs and themselves over a period of time. Since together they can cast five cure
disease spells per day, they can treat each person once every 20 days (ignoring the
sailors, who remain on the ships). See Day 22 to find out what happens if this duty
is neglected.
On each seventh day, the clerics are approached by workers who expect them to
perform the usual religious services. These services need not be played out. They
are ceremonies the clerics know how to perform easily, without using any spells,
and can be assumed to have taken place if the clerics agree to perform them. If the
clerics refuse to perform services for two seven-day periods, the same mutiny will
result as described below for forcing the workers to spend nights on the ships.
During the course of this operation, woodcutters and guards may die by various
means. The PC clerics may thereafter attempt to use raise dead spells to recover
the lost. If so, assume that half of the workers fail their system shock rolls
(remaining permanently dead), and that the same happens to one-fifth of the guards.
In any event, a raised person is useless for a full week thereafter unless a heal
spell (probably not available to PC clerics) is applied.

Players' Background
Read the following to the players:

>>You have returned to your homeland with treasure and information. The king is
pleased with your success and adds his token reward, 1,000 gp each, and his thanks.
A week later, you are again summoned to the palace. The kings sage explains the new
plan. A veritable army of construction folk are being assembled to sail back to the
ruin and bring the obelisk to the king. Your assistance is requested, as you are
the only folk familiar with it and, as you wisely left the force field in place,
the maze must again be penetrated.
Most of you agree to continue in the king's service. Montana, the dwarf, however,
thinks it sounds boring and decides to seek a new adventure. Furthermore, the day
after your royal audience, your magic-user receives an extortion note from Digger,
the gnome, demanding a huge ransom for the return of his spell books (which he
unwisely kept in the gnome's bag of holding). This dastardly deed is magically
foiled and the spell books are returned. Digger is forced to run for it, barely
escaping with his life. His large hoard is confiscated. Your group is down to six
but, having lost only a fighter and a back-up thief, you do not feel seriously
depleted.
In preparation for the moving of the needle, the king's wizard casts a limited wish
and discovers that the obelisk is hollow. The sage then excitedly performs his
calculations and announces that, if the dimensions you've reported are correct, it
will float!
You set out a month later with a convoy of three merchant ships full of people and
equipment to bring the needle to the king.

Give the players the Players' Reference Sheet for Part 2 and the Players' Jungle
Map.

Sequence of Events
Time, rather than location, is the key to this part of the adventure. The
characters' actions can influence the timing and occurrence of various incidents,
but their return to the jungle sets in motion the following inevitable chain of
events.
The natives (both Grippli and Bullywugs) contact the PCs to discuss their logging
operations. The natives become increasingly concerned about what they consider
desecration of their sacred places, the maze and the obelisk. Militant Grippli
conservatives conduct secret raids on PC operations. Both Grippli and Bullywugs
seek to enlist the PCs' aid in their ancient conflict. Bullywug forces ally with
the Grippli rebels, and skirmishes occur. The Bullywug forces attack the remaining
liberal Grippli, with the PCs possibly aiding either side. If the Bullywugs and
their cohorts are victorious, they attack the logging operations, even if the PCs
have helped them.
Alternative Plotline: The following possible course of events is not covered by
the Events Key. If the PCs decide to kill all the natives, assume that some natives
escape and return with other tribes in 7-16 (1d10+6) days. If this occurs, the vast
number of hostile natives (200 + Bullywugs and 300 + Grippli) inhibit the PC
operations to such an extent through guerilla tactics, sabotage, and occasional
open assaults that most of the workers are slain, and the obelisk cannot be moved.
The PC expedition fails. The PCs also change alignment to evil when they attempt to
exterminate the natives, each PC losing one level of experience.

Events Key
Instead of an Encounter Key for Part 2, you are provided with a series of events
that occur at set times. Review all the information given below to be familiar with
the overall setup and handle PC actions as needed.
A large amount of information is given here. You are not expected to assimilate all
of it. Use as much as you can but avoid getting hung up on details. Keep the game
moving. This large mass of data all fits together to construct the big picture of
the social and political events in the area. It is never all needed at once, and
many minor details may not come to light during play.
Use this section in the same manner as you would use a normal encounter key during
the game. Refer to other sections (Maze Notes, Native Life) for information as
needed, based on PC actions.
Important Note: "Day 1" is the first day of logging operations not the first day of
this part of the adventure, which begins about 12 days earlier when the expedition
sails from the capital city.
When the characters have again landed on the beach near the jungle, read the
following to the players:

>>It's a jungle out there! This place is hot and steamy, infested with mosquitoes
and who knows what else. There are snakes and big flying bugs in the tree-tops. And
you're expected to keep order in this mess and protect the workers as best you can.
The force field still covers the maze and obelisk. You have your map and can easily
enter the maze and turn off the field whenever you like. We won't play out that
part.
The obelisk is 65 feet tall. The main spire is 20 feet wide at the base, tapering
to 10 feet wide at 60-foot height. The cap is 5 feet tall and 10 feet square at its
base, tapering sharply to a point. The obelisk appears to be made of a single piece
of stonelike material and rests on the stone floor of the maze. The official method
of moving it seems to be best, though a long and involved affair. Digging around or
under it could topple it, magic might adversely affect it, and your lives and honor
are at risk if it breaks.

Use the maze room descriptions from Part 1, with the changes noted above, as
needed. When the PCs have settled in and are ready to start the obelisk-moving
operation, proceed to Day 1.
The players may want everyone in the expedition to stay on the boats at night for
safety. The NPCs all feel that this is unreasonable and ridiculous, so they refuse.
If threatened or forced to stay on shipboard during the night, very little
productive work is done the next day (the quarters on ship are cramped and not to
the NPCs' liking). The workers eventually mutiny against the PC leaders. If this
occurs, a mass, unarmed attack on the PCs results in their capture. They are given
the choice of riding back to the capital or staying in the jungle alone. Spell
casters are stripped of their components, spell books, holy symbols, etc.
If the PCs spend the nights on shipboard while the workers stay on land, work
proceeds at about half normal pace the next day.

Day 1. Snakes in the Trees

About two hours after lumbering operations begin, one of the felled trees is found
to contain three giant poisonous snakes. The snakes attack, and one woodcutter is
bitten each round.
If the PCs are in the area (not off scouting or visiting natives), a guardsman
comes running up to one character, asking for help. The PCs arrive on the scene 2-5
rounds after the trouble starts. (A minimum of two woodcutters are bitten.) One
workman is dead from wounds. Other woodcutters are dead of poison but may be
revived by applications of slow poison followed by neutralize poison spells. A cure
light wounds spell cures all the wounds on any one NPC.

Day 2. Visit from Natives

A group of six humanoid frog-men (Grippli) arrive at the site. They keep their
distance, watching the operations from a point 40 yards into the jungle. They are
noticed by workmen and reported to the PCs. The frog-men are eager to talk, if
magical means are used to permit this. Their tribal Mother wants to talk to the PCs
about the logging operations. If the PCs agree, the natives lead them to their
village to talk with the tribal Mother. (See the Grippli Village section for
details.)

Day 3. No Event (or Native Visit)

If the PCs have visited the Grippli village, no event occurs on Day 3. If they have
not, the six natives from Day 2 (or others, if the first six were chased off or
slain) return. This time, they are braver, approaching the camp itself in search of
its leaders (PCs) to take back to their tribal Mother.
If still refused, the natives return each day hereafter until their pleas are
heeded.

Days 4-6. No Events (or Native Visits)

The Grippli return each day if their request to visit their village has not been
answered. Remember to mark off the map squares logged.

Day 7. Services
Early in the morning, the woodcutters ask the PC clerics to hold religious
services. These ceremonies last one to two hours and do not delay the work. Mark
off the normal number of map squares logged. The actual services should not be
played; the details are assumed. Players may role-play the PCs' reactions and
handling of the request.
If the PC clerics refuse to provide services, the woodcutters stage a work
slowdown. Subtract one penalty square from the number that would normally be logged
each day (not cumulative) until religious services
are provided.

Day 8. No Event
Remember to mark off the map squares logged.

Day 9. Visit from Natives

A group of six humanoid frog-men (Bullywugs) arrive at the site. They watch the
operations from a point 40 yards into the jungle. When they are noticed by workmen
and reported to the PCs, they prove eager to talk if magical means of communication
are used. Their leader wants to talk to the PCs about the logging operations. If
the PCs agree, the natives lead the PCs to the clearing south of their village (see
map), to talk with their leader. (See Bullywug Clearing for details.) If any
Grippli are still hanging around the camp, they disappear into the jungle at the
first sight of the Bullywugs.

Day 10. No Event (or Native Visit)

If the PCs have visited the Bullywug clearing, no event occurs on Day 10. If they
did not visit the clearing, the six natives from Day 9 or others, if these were
chased off or slain, come back. This time, they bravely approach the camp in search
of the PCs to take back to their leader.
If still refused, the natives return each day hereafter, becoming progressively
more insistent.

Days 11-13. No Events (or Native Visit)

Remember to mark off the map squares logged.

Day 14. Services

The woodcutters again expect the PC clerics to hold religious services. These take
one to two hours in the early morning, and do not delay the work. Mark off the
normal number of map squares logged.

Days 15-16. No Events

Remember to mark off the map squares logged.

Day 17. Wasps

In the morning, a group of five giant wasps raid the outer edge of the logging
area. Six workers are stung before the PCs can arrive.
Two are killed and four are paralyzed. The paralysis is a poisonous effect,
removable only by slow poison or neutralize poison spells.

Days 18-20. No Events

Remember to mark off the map squares logged. Logging operations conclude when 100
map squares are cleared of usable timber. When the logging is finished, the
woodcutter-carpenters start work on building the scaffold and sheath around the
obelisk, and the ramp to ease it out of the maze (23 days total).

Day 21. Services

Three natives (Bullywugs) show up and ask to sit in on the services. If this is not
allowed, they simply leave.

Day 22. Disease

If the PC clerics have been casting cure disease spells on everyone as often as
possible (5 per day, 20 days for the circuit), this event does not occur.
Otherwise, continue with the following.
One non-cleric PC (determined at random), three guards, and 12 workmen begin to
feel ill: slightly dizzy with occasional chills. They have contracted a jungle
disease. Once diseased, a character (PC or NPC) cannot work, fight, or cast spells.
The disease is easily removed by a cure disease spell. If not cured, the disease
causes the loss of one point of Constitution every other day. The victim dies when
this ability score reaches zero. Assume that each workman and guard has 10 points
of Constitution.
This disease is spread by normal small insects that are always present in the
jungle. The jungle residents have built up a resistance to it and are not affected.
If the PCs do not start regular treatment of everyone in their camp, four workmen,
one guard, and one PC become diseased every day hereafter.

Days 23-27. No Events

Remember to mark off the map squares if logging is still in progress.

Day 28. Services

Five natives (Grippli) arrive and join the services. If told to leave, they ask
lots of questions and want to know why they can't stay. Though pushy, they can
finally be chased off.

Days 29-32. No Events

Operations continue normally.

Day 33. Native Visit

Six Grippli arrive at the site in the morning and seem upset about something. If
conversed with magically, they express their displeasure about the human
desecration of their sacred places: the maze and the obelisk. No PC actions can
calm them. After delivering their impassioned speech, they leave quickly. If they
are slain, another group of three Grippli arrive in the afternoon, searching for
the others. If these are also disposed of, the remainder of the tribe assumes that
the humans have become very evil. The tribal Mother sends out the call for all the
tribes to gather and plan their attack.

Days 34-36. No Events

Services may be conducted on Day 35. Four Grippli attend the services, if
permitted. Several workers make comments like, "the natives aren't such bad guys,
when you get used to them."

Day 37. Sabotage

In the morning, it is discovered that some parts of the scaffold have been sawed or
chopped through. Traces of native (Bully-wug) feet are found here and there around
the area. The building of the scaffold suffers a one-day delay for repairs.
If NPC guards are alerted and more carefully positioned around the maze area,
further sabotage may be prevented. The natives then have only a 10% chance (check
each night hereafter) of successful raiding. If PCs stand guard, the chance drops
by 1% per PC. If no precautions are taken, the same amount of sabotage (and delay)
occurs each night hereafter.
If the Grippli tribal Mother is confronted by the PCs about the sabotage, she
denies her tribe's involvement, blaming it on the "bad natives." The Bullywugs also
blame the damage on "bad natives" and claim that it is all part of a scheme of the
"old witch" (the Grippli tribal Mother).
The guards and woodcutters start to mutter their open distrust of the natives. Some
feel that it would be best to wipe them all out.

Days 38-41. No Events

Operations continue normally. Roll for sabotage delays as noted above.

Day 42. Services

The usual religious services are held, but are attended by no natives. As the
services end, 12 natives arrive, one of them a leader. They are armed with spears
and seem irritated. The leader wants to talk. If magical means are employed, the
message is revealed. These natives (a conservative militant group of the Grippli
tribe) believe that the human operations are defiling their sacred area, the maze
and obelisk. They demand that the humans leave the area within 10 days. The natives
try to leave peacefully after delivering their message and flee if attacked.

Days 43-48. Possible Special Event

Work on the roadway should begin sometime between Day 43 and Day 48. Run this event
on the first day of roadway work.
While workmen are clearing the roadway, two of them fall into a pit trap and die on
poisoned spikes. This is not avoidable unless the characters first search the
entire road with find traps spells (at least four spells' worth). This trap was
made by Bullywugs.

Day 49. Services

Regular services may be held as usual. There are no interruptions.

Day 50. Messenger

In the afternoon, a native is spotted running quickly towards the PC encampment
with spear in hand, apparently charging. If allowed to arrive and magically
conversed with, it brings word of violent conflicts between the two Grippli
factions, the militant conservatives and the liberal majority (led by the tribal
Mother). The native asks the PCs to aid the Mother.
If the messenger is slain before it can give its message, no further events occur
until the mass attack on Day 56.
If the PCs do not respond, the liberals are defeated by the combined forces of the
conservative Grippli and their Bullywug allies on Day 54. On Day 56, their combined
forces march on the PC operations.
If the PCs respond and come to the aid of the Mother, the militant conservative
faction (14 Grippli) deserts the village this night, leaving 16 natives with the
Mother and her attendants. PCs may return to their encampment by night and return
to the Grippli village each morning if desired, with no ill effects.

Days 51-53. Troop Movements & Skirmishing

Workmen report that elusive creatures, probably natives, are moving around out in
the jungle. They avoid the human operations entirely. PCs are not able to sight or
catch any of the natives.
During the 3-4 days of skirmishing, defensive barriers may be built around the
Grippli village with logs and mud, giving 50% cover ( -4 AC bonus) to the defenders
when the first attack comes on Day 54. Do not suggest this, but allow it if players
think of it.

Day 54. Sounds of Battle

If PCs are present in the Grippli village at 11 a.m., run "Klikets Charge."

Kliket's Charge
When the PC clerics pray for spells on the morning of Day 54, the intermediaries
they contact (for level 3-5 spells) subtly point out that there are creatures with
poisoned weapons all over the place. Because it is unusual for intermediaries to
comment in this manner, they say something like, "Are you sure you only want that
many slow poison spells?" Aside from this rather obvious hint, the intermediaries'
conversation and spell granting is normal.
This battle should take half an hour of play or less. To keep things moving, assume
that melees which do not involve PCs take 5 rounds to resolve, with three times as
many Grippli casualties as Bullywug. If the Grippli are magically aided (e.g.
attackers are slowed), reverse those odds to their favor. In addition, determine
each individual's hit points when damage is taken, not in advance. Assume for area-
effect purposes that there are six attackers per 10 x 10 foot square area during
most of the battle. The seven attacking leaders are spread out at various points in
the mob.
Position the defenders (PCs and 18 Grippli natives) in any manner desired by the
players, except that Grippli must be within their village. The Mother and her four
attendants stay back out of the fray, preferably in a hut.
The attackers creep up near to the village under heavy cover in an attempt to gain
surprise. If any PCs are outside of the village between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m., or if
any PC has a detect invisibility spell running during this time and is using it to
watch for enemies, the approaching attackers are spotted and their surprise fails.
Otherwise, the attackers gain two surprise segments, using the first to jump to the
attack and the second to make a hand-to-hand attack. This jump attack is a charge;
if defenders are not surprised, they may set their weapons against it.
The attackers and defenders are all using poisoned spears. Any victim hit must save
vs. poison or die.

Attackers
60 Bullywug Natives (AC 4)
Kliket, Bullywug Chieftain
4 Bullywug Sub-Chiefs
2 Bullywug Shamans
Spells for this battle (identical for each):
Cure light wounds (C 5s, 1d8)
Darkness (x2, C 4s, R 12", DR 75r, 40' diameter)
Resist (ire (x3, C 1r, R Touch, DR 7T)
Cause blindness (C 1r, R Touch)
Dispel magic (C 6s, R 6", 30' cube)
Poison (C 7s, R Touch, save or die)

Attack Tactics
Before they approach the Grippli village (at about 10:30 a.m.), the Bullywug
shamans cast their resist (ire spells on themselves, Kliket, and three of the sub-
chiefs. These three subs wrap themselves in flammable oily rags; the fourth keeps a
torch ready. They then accompany the Bullywug horde in their sneaky approach.
The signal for the main attack is the lighting of the torch. The shamans then each
cast a darkness spell, aiming at the PC magic-users, if visible, or any other PCs
otherwise. When the darkness appears, the first wave of 30 Bullywugs jump (30-yard
range) at all available targets, doubling up as needed. They gain a +1 bonus on
this attack, and a hit inflicts double damage, plus poison.
When the Bullywugs charge, the lucky sub-chief with the torch lights the others,
and the flaming figures hop into the fray, making three attacks per round with
claws and teeth. Any successful hit inflicts extra fire damage of 1-4 points.
After the first wave of the attack, the shamans cast their second darkness spells
wherever seems appropriate. The shamans are hidden in the jungle with the second
wave of 30 Bullywugs and cannot be picked out from the others. Thereafter, whenever
possible, the shamans cast their dispel magic spells into the fray (avoiding their
own darknesses), give cures to the chieftain or themselves if necessary, and then
ready cause blindness or poison spells (not both) to use if they are attacked.
In the meantime, Kliket sends in the second wave of Bullywugs. Thirty more hop to
the attack, without surprise but still with the charge bonus and, of course,
poisoned spears.

Defense Tactics
The 18 Grippli natives (less any killed earlier by PCs) wait for their attackers to
move in, then slug it out. The PCs are also defenders. Their tactics are decided by
the players.
The 12 (or fewer) conservative militant Grippli stay back and avoid the fray. They
have, at this point, realized their error and are appalled at the bloodthirsty
plans of their Bullywug allies. If attacked, they flee; if confronted, they
surrender. Later, if given the chance, they plead with the tribal Mother for mercy
and forgiveness. She
grants both if they reaffirm their allegiance and do penance by rebuilding the
village and serving the surviving liberal Grippli.
If PCs have avoided the native problems and remained with their operations, the
sounds of battle are heard coming from the east (Grippli village) at 11 am. If PCs
investigate, they find a horde of natives in the village, fighting a very few
others ("mopping up"). By this time, the tribal Mother, her attendants, and 12 of
the Grippli liberals have been slain. Subtract any previous Grippli casualties,
such as deaths from PC confrontations, from the Grippli defenders. The remaining
six liberals are prisoners.
At this point, the force controlling the village is identical to the attacking
group described in "Kliket's Charge," minus 10 Bullywug casualties. This group is
not yet prepared to attack the human encampment and negotiates with the PCs if
possible.

Day 55. No Events

Operations continue normally.

Day 56. Services (Possible Special Event)

If the PCs have aided the Grippli and defeated Kliket's Charge, services are held
normally, with no events other than the attendance of all surviving Grippli
liberals including the tribal Mother and her attendants. The Mother expresses her
deep appreciation for the PCs' assistance and presents them with 100 2 x 5 foot
sheets of metal which have been buried near the village. The metal is the same
silicon-steel described in Part 1, Room 9d. The metal sheets are 1/32 inch thick
and weigh 10 pounds per sheet. Their value is 100 gp per sheet as a novelty or
1,000 gp per sheet if the special cutter has been found and is sold with them.
If PCs have not yet defeated the Bullywug army, continue with the following:
Services are held as usual. Extra blessings and thanks are appropriate, as the
project is near completion. No natives attend the services. In the middle of the
service, Bullywug spears fly out from the nearby underbrush, instantly killing
three workmen in a surprise attack.
This surprise attack does not occur if the PCs are positioned evenly around their
group, but do not ask players for special actions. That would be a too-obvious
clue, since the other services are uneventful. If players have the foresight to
stand watch, the incoming Bullywug forces are spotted at 50-yard range. The service
can be interrupted and surprise prevented. Normal guards do not suffice to prevent
the surprise attack.
The workmen panic and flee in random directions. The guardsmen join the PCs to face
the incoming attack and follow their orders.
The attacking Bullywug forces are identical to those described in "Kliket's
Charge," minus 10 Bullywug casualties. Many snakes, normal and giant-sized, and
other wild and monstrous creatures surround the camp. Bullywug shamans have talked
to them, and they are waiting for food (the fleeing workmen) to come running out.
If (or when) the PCs and guards defeat the massed Bullywug attack, they find that
most of the workmen have been killed and eaten by the critters. Eight workmen may
be found wandering in the jungle if PCs search. All the engineer-architects are
slain. The PCs may attempt to finish the project themselves, but success is not
likely. Many men are needed to move the massive obelisk.
Clever players may decide to collect as many bodies as possible, take them to the
ships, and spend a few weeks casting raise dead spells. However, most of the
workmen are too badly damaged or eaten to restore. A maximum of 20 can be regained
in this way, still too few to move the obelisk.

Days 57 to Next-to-Last-Day. No Events

Whatever the results of the past days, no further events occur until the PCs are
about to leave, either in failure or with the obelisk.

Next-to-Last Day. Noises

If the PC expedition fails, this event occurs the day after the great Bullywug
attack on their operations. If PCs have already sailed away, ignore this event.
If the PC operations have succeeded, this event occurs while the obelisk is being
dragged to the beach. To accomplish this, workers have dismantled the scaffold and
used that wood and other logs to pave the roadway. Twenty capstans are set up and
manned, attached to the obelisk's sled by ropes and used to pull it toward the
shore over the logs. When the obelisk is within 200 yards of the shore, long ropes
are strung from the ships and attached to the sled so that rowers may aid in the
effort. The entire moving operation takes about 24 hours
(two long days' work).
On the second day of moving, native drums are heard in the distance. If the PCs
seek the surviving Grippli to get more information, they find them in the process
of packing up and moving. The Grippli reveal that the sounds are Bullywug war
drums; other tribes are coming. There could be over 200 Bullywugs on their way. By
the sound of the drums, they should arrive within two days. The Grippli must hurry
to join the other Grippli tribes for defense. They believe that the nearby
Bullywugs must have sent word of their defeat to the others. This will have no real
effect on PC operations, but adds to the atmosphere.

Last Day. Approaching Army

The sound of native drums grows louder. The obelisk reaches the beach, and workers
hastily build a raft around it with logs from the roadway. By evening, the drums
are very near, but the obelisk is ready for launch. If the PCs decide to launch
that night, light sources must be used to ensure safety. The rope cables could snag
if not attended carefully, and some pushing is needed in addition to the ships'
pulling. Two of the ships are used to tow the obelisk and its raft; one remains
more mobile.
If well lighted, the launch succeeds, and the PC expedition may sail up to half a
mile away from the shore. The navigators do not want to go further as visibility is
limited and there are reefs in the areas waters.
If the launch is left to the next day, no further events occur today.

Departure Day. Bon Voyage Party

As the PC expedition leaves the sunny jungle shores, they are bid a fond farewell
by the Bullywugs, who come out onto the shore and throw spears at the departing
ships. If the PC expedition has put to sea on the previous night, this has no
effect whatsoever. If the PCs launch today, some spears stick into the raft around
the obelisk, but nobody is harmed, and the attack has no other effect. In any
event, the beach is packed with irate natives, obviously very hostile. They cannot
pursue very far into the water. If attacked (by long-range magic or by the ships'
ballistae or catapult), the Bullywug army pulls back into jungle cover.

Pirate Encounter
On the morning of the ninth day of the 20-day voyage home, two ships are sighted at
a distance of 5 miles. They are heading toward the PC fleet.
These are two merchant ships containing pirates. They fly no flag. The pirates have
been sent by a rival nation, after their king heard that the PC expedition had been
sent out. They want the obelisk. They do not, however, expect as much resistance as
the PCs are able to provide.
The ships are two large merchant vessels, identical to the PCs' ships.

Movement Rates and Times

The rate of the pirates' approach will vary by PC actions. If PC ships turn to
attack, the Rate of Approach (ROA) is the sum of the two ships' movement rates. If
PC ships continue on course, the ROA is 80% of the pirate ship movement. If the PCs
turn away from their attackers, the ROA is the pirates' rate minus the PC rate.
Thus, the third PC ship (not towing) can evade the pirates by abandoning her
comrades but, because the two towing ships can only move at half speed, the obelisk
cannot be kept without a fight.
If the PC ships do not change maneuvers, the following rates and times apply,
counting from the original 5-mile sighting:

PC ship... ROA Time to Contact

Turns to attack 7 1/2 mph 4 turns
Continues on course 4 mph 7 1/2 turns
Turns and flees 2 1/2 mph 12 turns

Each pirate ship is equipped with a ballista and a catapult (statistics given in
the PC ship description section), with plenty of ammunition. They use flaming
catapult missiles (pitch). The pirate ships start attacking when in range for both
the catapult and ballista (30" range; this is 900', or about 1/6 mile). All shots
are aimed at the PC ships; the pirates are very careful to avoid striking the
obelisk raft. When they close to 17" range (510' or about 1/10 mile), the pirate
magic-users start throwing their fireballs, aiming for the largest visible groups
of people or the sails of the PC ships.
At the first sign of danger, most of the PC expedition goes below decks. A few
sailors (10-15 per ship) stay topside to keep the boat moving and fire the siege
engines. When boarding seems imminent, the sailors swarm out of the hatch to fight.
Nonfighters (such as woodcutters) stay below, surrendering if engaged. Sailors try
to keep
the pirates from boarding by throwing belaying pins at them for 1d4 points damage
per successful hit.
The pirates attempt to close in, grapple, and board. They fight to the death,
almost to the last man, for that is their fate if they return empty-handed. If
reduced to 10 men per ship or less, they surrender and offer to ally with or serve
the PCs and their king. If spared, the traitorous rogues flee shortly after arrival
in the capital to continue independent lives of piracy.
This encounter is best run loosely. Do not roll for every pirate and sailor attack,
but roll normally for long-range siege engine attacks. Assume that the sailors have
a slight edge in skill but are outnumbered, and that PC actions save the day
(hopefully). Concentrate on the PCs and account for the rest by description and
summary. As a tactical note, things are somewhat grim unless the PCs can neutralize
the enemy spell casters, but the PC fighters can have a great time in melee,
attacking once per level of experience each round, as the pirates are less than 1
HD each.

Pirate Personnel
There are 70 pirates per ship. Statistics for pirates and their leaders are found
in the Combined Monster Statistics Table. Each ship contains the same number of
pirate personnel:
120 Pirates, 60 per ship
10 Pirate Sergeants, 5 per ship
4 Pirate Lieutenants, 2 per ship
2 Pirate Captains, 1 per ship
2 Pirate Magic-Users (7th-level), 1 per ship
2 Pirate Clerics (5th-level), 1 per ship

PIRATE SPELLS
Mark off as used
MU #l MU #2
____ ____ Magic missile (C 1s, R 13", 4d4+4)
____ ____ Magic missile (C 1s, R 13", 4d4+4)
____ ____ Shield (C 1s, DR 35r; AC 2/ 3/4)
____ ____ Sleep (C 1s, R 10", DR 35r)
____ ____ Detect invisibility (C 2s, R 7", DR 35r)
____ ____ Stinking Cloud (C 2s, R 3", DR 7r, 20' cube)
____ ____ Web (C 2s, R 3 1/2", DR 14t)
____ ____ Fireball (C 3s, R17"", 7d6)
____ ____ Fireball (C 3s, R17"", 7d6)
____ ____ Dimension door (C 1s, R 21")

CL#1 CL#2
____ ____ Command (C 1s, DR 1r)
____ ____ Cure light wounds (C 5s, 1d8)
____ ____ Cure light wounds (C 5s, 1d8)
____ ____ Cure light wounds (C 5s, 1d8)
____ ____ Sanctuary (C 4s, DR 7r)
____ ____ Hold person (C 5s. R 6" .DR 9r)
____ ____ Hold person (C 5s, R 6", DR 9r)
____ ____ Hold person (C 5s, R 6" .DR 9r)
____ ____ Silence 15' radius (C 5s, R 12", DR 10r)
____ ____ Dispel magic (C 5s, R 6" )

Spell Strategies
After throwing their fireballs from long range, the pirate magic-users wait until
they have closed to 10" range and then cast their shield spells. They use sleep,
stinking cloud, and web spells to inconvenience as many of the PC crewmen as
possible, saving magic missiles for any formidable opponents (i.e. the PCs). The
magic-users abandon ship if the pirates start to lose or the ships begin to sink.
They use their dimension door spells and head for either the other pirate ship or a
safe-looking PC ship, arriving down in the hold.
The pirate clerics save their spells for opportunity, using hold person against
formidable opponents (i.e. the PCs), silence on obvious spell casters, dispel magic
on PC-generated effects, and sanctuary if they are spotted. If engaged, the command
to sleep may come in handy. They use cure light wounds spells on themselves, the
pirate magic-users, and any pirate officers as needed.
None of the pirate spell casters puts up a fight if cornered. They surrender
immediately if given a chance.
The pirate ships contain a total of 2,400 gp in coins. The biggest treasure lies in
the magic-users' spell books (value 15,000 gp each).

PART 3 - THE POWER THAT BE

This part of the adventure begins two weeks after the PCs have returned to the
capital city. The king commands their presence and informs them that a magical
doorway has appeared in the obelisk. The king blames the characters for this new
problem and orders them to enter the obelisk to find out what's wrong with it.
The obelisk is a transportation device which sends those who enter it to a moon of
the characters' world. There, the characters meet the local residents, a nation of
powerful and intelligent phase spiders, who are quite pleased to see them. The
spiders have an interplanar trade empire and are eager to begin trade relations
with the humans. However, their last customers on the planet, a nation of froglike
beings, fell to squabbling among themselves. The spiders believe that this was
caused by an innate lack of worthiness on the part of the frog race. The spiders
agree to open the trade route if the human and demihuman ambassadors (the
characters) pass a simple test of courage.
Just as human nature varies�good, neutral, and evil�so does the nature of the
spider race. And it seems that the bad guys have kidnapped the good spider princess
and are holding her for ransom. She is being guarded by a dragon, of course. To
prove their mettle, in the grand tradition of storybook fantasy, the heroes must
rescue the princess and slay the dragon.
If the characters refuse, they are returned safely to their home, but the trade
route is not opened. If they cooperate and successfully rescue the princess, the
characters return home with the goodwill of the spiders, bringing the benefits of
trade. The most interesting trade goods offered are a strong new metal (silicon-
steel) and a new weapon that throws deadly beams of light (lightwand). By opening
the trade route, the characters receive a percentage of all the profits and a few
free samples besides.
Before starting play, be sure to review all the creatures used in this scenario.
Detailed descriptions may be found on page. See also page for details on
calculating the specifics of the Chak trade agreement with the PCs.
When you are ready, read the following to the players:

>>Your voyage home after the pirate attack was boringly uneventful. When you
arrived at the capital city, the obelisk was laboriously towed to Royal Square
where a magnificent pedestal had been built for it. In another great operation, the
obelisk was raised and safely mounted in its new location. The king was extremely
pleased. He grandly bestowed useless titles on all of you, accompanied by very
useful cash (another 5,000 gp each).
It is now two weeks after your triumphant return. Though first hailed (and
pestered) as heroes, you have now been nearly forgotten by the cityfolk and the
king, and are basking in the luxury of anonymity once again.
Tonight is a busy one in the common room of SMART headquarters. You are happily
relating the tale of your travels to novice adventurers, swilling free brew, and
generally enjoying the admiration of your fellow members. The light of the full
moon streams through the windows, lending its air of mystery to the proceedings.
Suddenly, a messenger bursts in. Pointing at you, he gasps, "The king demands your
presence at once! Follow me!" Though there are groans from your listeners, you have
no choice but to accompany the messenger. You are quickly rushed to the Great Hall
of the palace for an immediate audience. It looks as though you have to perform
whatever task must be done to placate the king's whims this third time.
You are ushered into the Great Hall for a royal audience. Before entering, all your
weapons, devices, and spell components are left with the royal armorer (a standard
practice). The hour is late, and the king is nearly alone. Only eight guards are
present, along with Torgel, the king's friend and advisor whom you rescued from the
maze. The king is very upset. As you enter, he shouts, "YOU! Its all your fault.
That gizmo of yours is going to destroy us all!"

After much ranting and raving (which you can role-play to the hilt), the problem is
revealed. At moonrise this very night�the night of the full moon�the obelisk
started making a strange humming noise, and a misty gateway appeared at the base of
one side. Once he calms down a bit, the king demands that the characters enter the
gateway and find out what's going on. Torgel doesn't help matters, suggesting that
the device may be a portal for an interplanar invasion.
The king puts the blame for this strange occurrence on the characters and holds
them responsible for bringing such a dangerous device to the capital. He insists
they enter and investigate the thing this very night, before anything else happens.
If necessary, the characters are seized, imprisoned, and subjected to Torgel's geas
spells (2 per day maximum) until they agree to cooperate.
Now that it has been activated, the portal remains open for one month. When the
characters agree to enter it, the king has all their belongings brought to the
Great Hall so that they may equip themselves.

Preparations
Give the Players' Reference Sheet for Part 3 to the players. Allow them to take
whatever they wish, and divide these items among the characters for travel.
Everything may be taken, if desired, even the tin man. Encourage players to take 10
minutes, at most, to review, decide upon, and divide these items.
Assume that the characters have not cast any spells yet this day and are carrying a
standard spell selection (that chosen before play begins). The PCs may refuse to
enter the portal until they have studied spells, causing a 24-hour delay, which
they must spend under guard.
The king does not allow the PCs to cast any spells preparatory to entering the
obelisk until they are at the portal and otherwise ready to go. If they express a
desire to cast preparatory spells, Torgel first casts a wall of force around them,
encasing them next to the portal. The characters may then cast all they like and
enter. If they do not enter before the duration of the wall of force ends (23
rounds), they are stripped and imprisoned for another day, and then equipped and
prepared in the same way.

Finder
If you are using the pregenerated characters, brief your Finder player in private
before play begins. Finder's church has become interested in the obelisk and has,
through commune spells and other magical efforts, determined that it is a gateway
to another world. The church has summoned Finder and instructed him to ensure
peaceful and profitable relations with any alien races the group might encounter.
If necessary, he is to reveal his true Charisma and take charge of the
negotiations. However, Finder must not reveal this information to the king or the
adventuring party before embarking on the mission.

Role-Playing

The dialogue with the spider race, the Chak, can be a source of much entertainment,
especially if you take the time to personalize them. For example, try using a
bright, happy voice for Ackack, and a low, gravelly one for King Sarkum.

The Tunnels of Tatz

Encounter Key

Cl. Through the Portal

The characters temporarily lose all their normal senses upon entering the portal.
The next thing they know, they are all standing intact in a new place.

C2. Arrival

>>You suddenly find yourselves in a huge room, standing on a large, irregular,

yellowish metallic object of some kind, about 10 feet above a reddish metal floor.
A steep ramp descends down to floor level before you. All around you are hundreds
of shiny black spiders, each about 4 feet across. They nearly fill the floor of the
room, which is about 100 feet on a side. Dozens of light sources are scattered
around the room, apparently held by the spiders. These lights are brighter than
candles but dimmer than magical light. They give enough illumination, however, to
see that the walls are covered with ornately decorated metal and the smooth metal
ceiling is about 20 feet above your heads. There are no visible exits.

The characters are not yet aware that they are standing on the broad back of a
brass dragon, which is curled up into a sort of altar. The steep ramp in front of
the characters is actually one of the dragon's wings. Its other wing is folded flat
to its body behind the party. The dragon's neck, head, and legs are tucked neatly
underneath and are not visible at this time.
There are over 200 Chak (rhymes with Jack) crowded into this room. They have been
awaiting the arrival of the characters. If the party attacks, the dragon lifts its
head and breathes sleep gas. You may run the battle if you like or simply summarize
the outcome. All characters who do not eventually fail a saving throw vs. the
dragon's breath and fall asleep are overcome by the massed hordes of Chak, who
capture them and render them unconscious. The characters awaken later, in a cell
(see Prisoners).
If the party takes no immediate action, soft clicking sounds start coming from the
spiders, increasing in volume to a loud din which lasts for about a minute and then
subsides. This is Chak applause. The characters then become aware that all the
spiders have been sitting down (in whatever way spiders sit) because one of them
near the party stands up, rising a foot or two above its fellows. It addresses the
characters in human Common.

C3. Reception

>>The spider speaks. "Greetings, great and noble travelers. We welcome you with
open legs"�it demonstrates by waving its two front appendages�"in the name of our
great and glorious king, Sarkum of Tatz. Gee whiz! Its great to have you here."
The spider turns and starts bobbing and nodding madly at the rest, and cries of
"Gee whiz!" come from most of the creatures present. The leader waits for their
cries to die down, then turns and speaks to you once again.
"I am Ackack, spokeschak for our humble race. Gee whiz! Please allow me to
personally welcome you to the land of Tatz! Are you violent or hostile?"

The odd and effervescent speech of the Chak may give the impression of foolishness,
but this is not the case. Although they are virtually bubbling with friendliness,
the Chak are a shrewd, highly intelligent race. They fully expect the characters to
react with caution and do not react adversely to spell casting of any sort or to
weapons in hand. If the characters attack, however, the dragon rises and breathes,
putting all the PCs to sleep (see encounter C2 above).
Ackack is interested, at the moment, in identifying the racial makeup of the party.
He has met humans before, but not demi-humans. He answers a few questions, if
asked, but insists on getting the answers to his own questions.
After his opening speech, Ackack urges the characters to descend from the "landing
platform" and join the Chak. If they cooperate, they are surrounded and touched by
most of the spiders present. This is a form of greeting and also a means for the
Chak to get the scent of the characters. The Chak are uneasy until they do this. No
harm comes of it.
During the course of their conversation, Ackack seeks answers to the following
questions:
1. What are the characters' names and races?
2. How did they get here? (and then, how did they get the obelisk?)
3. Do humans and demi-humans come in various sizes, shapes, and sexes?
4. Are there good and bad humans and demi-humans, or are they all of one
philosophy?
5. Do any or all of the characters use a power commonly known as magic (if not
previously demonstrated)?
6. Are the characters or their rulers interested in material wealth?

Ackack reveals the following during the conversation:

1. His race is called the Chak.
2. The Chak are travelers and traders, voyaging between the planets and the very
planes of existence in their pursuit of commerce.
3. The Chak have traded with the characters' planet in the past, but that trade
stopped when the people they traded with had a civil war. Ackack describes the
froglike beings if questioned.
4. The Chak would like to resume trade with the humans and demi-humans as soon as
possible.
5. The pedestal upon which the characters arrived is a brass dragon. His name is
Tally-tal. Upon hearing his name, the dragon gives a snort and sits up. He cannot
speak.
6. The obelisk is a device constructed by the Chak. It is a teleporter.
7. The obelisk can receive as well as send, but the Chak politely refuse to send
the party home until the characters have spoken with King Sarkum himself.
In addition, if the characters show Ackack some of the curiosities they have found,
he tells them the following: Coins: These are all coins of the Chak realm. Each is
made of the standard reddish metal called nak and named after King Sarkum. "Garsha
Koo" is Chak language for "Gee whiz!" The four worn coins are at least 10,000 years
old. Nak metal does not wear down quickly. The Chak offer the characters five
normal sarkums for each old one. The Chak also have small, tenth-sarkum coins and
show them for comparison.

Lightwand: Ackack shows the PCs how to activate the lightwand by striking it
against a hard object, if they have not already figured it out.
Bones: The holes in the skull were made by a lightwand, identical to the one the
characters may have found, but with a minor attachment. The four-armed humanoid
skeletons are those of creatures called glommers. This is an unnatural breed,
similar to normal apes but created by evil Chak.
Tin Humanoid: This is a metal golem of Chak construction. It can be activated by
the proper command word, which is known only to the king's advisor.
Spider Amulet: Ackack shudders when he sees the amulet. It is a relic belonging to
the evil Chak. Ackack offers no other information at this time.
Cutter: If the nak cutter (8 inches long with roller and blade) was found and is
displayed, Ackack insists that the party must turn it over. It is a taboo item for
outsiders to possess while within Sarkum's palace, but it will be returned later.
If necessary, the Chak swarm over the party to retrieve the cutter, and the dragon
can always be called to deal with them. If the characters do not reveal their
possession of the cutter, it is not found by the Chak and no problems arise.
Ackack politely admires any other items shown but has no special comments about
them. He politely declines to give answers other than those noted above, saying
that the king or his advisors will surely clear everything up. ("Gee whiz!")
After the above topics are covered, Ackack suggests that the characters may rest,
or they may visit the king immediately if they wish. (Each option is covered
hereafter.)

C4. Leaving Tatz Hall

Whether the PCs decide to rest first or see the king immediately, they are escorted
from the hall by Ackack and most of the Chak present.

>>Ackack produces a metal cutter from his underside. You realize that he, and
presumably all of the Chak, have pouches, similar to those of kangaroos. Ackack
climbs the far wall and quickly cuts a 6-foot diameter hole in it, revealing a nak
metal-sheathed tunnel of the same size.

If the characters found the nak cutter in Part I and mention or produce it, note
the unfavorable results as described in encounter C3.
Ackack leads the party from the hall. He and the party are surrounded at all times
by many other Chak, with the remainder fol-
lowing behind. The dragon remains in Tatz Hall.

C5. Tunnel World

It soon becomes apparent that the Chak live in an underground community of tunnels
and rooms, all lined with nak metal. During this entire adventure, the characters
are never permitted to roam the tunnels at will, thus maps of them are not needed.
If the characters (stupidly) want to attack while in the tunnels, warn the players
that no good opportunity exists and try hard to discourage this. Several Chak to
the rear of the group have, unnoticed by the characters, armed their lightwands.
They are prepared to destroy the party if trouble arises. In addition, the Chak
near the characters may attack with their poisonous bites.
Prisoners
If the characters have attacked the Chak at any point, they have been put to sleep
by the breath of Tallytal or were overcome by the massed Chak and captured. They
awaken some time later, stripped of everything and lying in a bare cell. After a
few hours, they are brought to see King Sarkum (see encounter C6).

C6. Royal Audience

If the characters have been put to sleep by the dragon's breath and captured, they
still receive the same treatment as given below but are brought before the king
absolutely naked and unequipped.

>>The Chak escort you through the sleek nak-metal corridors. You pass occasional
side routes where even more spiders scurry about, all apparently busy. Some stop to
watch your passage and then continue about their business.
After about a half-mile of travel, the corridor opens out into a large, nak-lined
area. A 20-foot diameter hole pierces the wall ahead. Passing through this hole,
you arrive in another large chamber, ornately adorned and occupied by dozens of
Chak. Woven between the walls at the far end of the room, a great spiderweb
supports in its center a huge spider, at least 10 feet across. This must be King
Sarkum himself! The king is surrounded by a dozen large Chak, each about 5 feet
across and each holding a lightwand.
Ackack speaks. "Hail, Oh great and powerful Sarkum, most splendid King of
Tatz, Chak-father, Supreme Ruler, Conqueror of the Inner Planes! Greetings, Father-
mine, Wisest of Wise, Strongest of Strong, Eater of Foolish Guests! Gee Whiz!"
Sarkum replies, "Gee Whiz!" in a deep, rumbling bass voice. All the Chak in the
hall immediately fall to the floor and echo the words "Gee Whiz!" three times in
chorus.

If the PCs do not do the same, they are cued by whispers and tugs from the Chak
around them. A simple kneeling will do, but full prone position will please the
king the most. Adjust the following commentary as needed if the characters are not
properly respectful to King Sarkum.

>>Sarkum speaks again. "Gee Whiz! Rise, our people and guests!" Everyone rises.
"Greetings, ambassadors. Greetings, our son Ackack. Who are our guests?" Ackack
tells the king everything you revealed during the question-and-answer session in
Tatz Hall. The king seems pleased. "You have done well. Gee whiz! We never liked
those frogs anyway." Sarkum then turns to you. "Who speaks for your group?"

One of the PCs must act as spokesperson for the party. Sarkum addresses that person
hereafter. If the PCs do not choose a spokes-person, Sarkum addresses the first
person who speaks and ignores all other PCs.

>>"Gee whiz! We welcome you to Tatz, and hope that your stay is a pleasant one. We
are but simple trader folk and travelers. We would like you to trade with us. Are
you interested?"

C7. Trading Session

The following details are revealed in the course of the trading session:

1. The PCs may return home without a trade agreement, if they wish. This occurs
within one hour, and the Chak then try to contact some other nation.
2. If a trade agreement is reached, the party receives one percent of the price of
all goods sold by the Chak, payable in sarkums, to divide among themselves.
3. The Chak are interested in trading for magic items, live giant insects (food),
and good dragons. No other goods are of interest to them. Refer to the Trade Goods
and Values section of the Players' Reference Sheet for Part 3 for prices offered.
Prices vary depending on King Sarkum's reaction to the characters.
4. Sarkum trades for the characters' personal and party belongings immediately, if
they wish, whether or not a trade agreement has been reached.
5. The Chak trade goods offered are nak (the reddish metal) and lightwands. (See
Trade Goods and Values for prices and full descriptions.)
When they hear the prices offered for insects and dragons, the characters may wish
to return home, gather some, and return. The Chak do not permit this yet. If the
characters return home without finalizing the trade agreement, the deal is called
off, and they are not be contacted again.

C8. The Proposition

After working out trade details and possibly trading with the player characters,
Sarkum makes another speech.

>>"It is a pleasure dealing with you. We hope that this marks the beginning of a
long and mutually beneficial relationship.
"However, we yet have some doubts. The greenies were also fair traders and pleasant
enough at first, but they were unstable. We believe that they were lacking in the
stuff that makes a people great. Gee whiz!
"Before we finalize our agreement, can you convince us that your people are worthy
of our trust and wealth?"

Allow the characters to try their best, but Sarkum is not convinced by mere words.
If player characters suggest a test of their courage and power, Sarkum is pleased;
he was about to make the same proposal.
Sarkum explains that his daughter. Princess Keelee of Tatz, has been kidnapped by
evil Chak and is being held for ransom. If the characters rescue her to prove
themselves worthy, the trade agreement is finalized and the party is returned home
safely, becoming official ambassadors to the Chak. To aid them on this perilous
mission. King Sarkum generously offers two free lightwand weapons with fully
charged control rings. A reward of 25 sarkums per person is also offered.
Bargaining is ignored.
If the characters decline the offer, they are sent home immediately and the trade
offer is
closed. If they balk, suggesting some other service, Sarkum insists that this is
his only offer.

C9. A Briefing

When his offer is accepted, Sarkum introduces his advisor, Chumley. Paraphrase the
following information from Chumley or intersperse it with questions from the PCs to
avoid reading it in one long section.

>>"Just as you humans may be good, evil, or neither, so too are the Chak. Renegade
bands lurk here and there in our world, but the fiercest and worst is a group of 21
called the Black Chak. They are led by the notorious criminal, Gritch the Grinder."
At the mention of this name, all the Chak in the room start a tremendous growling,
which subsides only after the king shouts, "Gee whiz!". Chumley continues.
"The Black Chak have stolen beautiful Princess Keelee, and we are most sorrowful.
We cannot get her back ourselves! Gee whiz! As we, the good Chak of Tatz, ally with
the noble lizards�you met old Tallytal, I believe�the Black Chak wallow and glumph
with the vilest specimens of that race. Some breathe fire, some lightning, cold,
acid...it is a barpling situation indeed. Gee whiz!"
Cries of "Gee whiz!" echo from around the room, but the king remains silent.
Chumley continues again after the noise subsides:
"The evil Gritch�" Chumley is interrupted again by growling. "The Black Chak leader
is demanding many magic items for Keelee's return. If you cannot help us, we must
pay their awful price.
"Now, a few words about our land. Gee whiz! You have seen our beautiful scenic
tunnels, so no description is needed of them. Beyond our humble abode, however, the
purity of nak ends, and the tunnels become rough-hewn and crooked. We will give you
a drawing of the routes to Gri-...to the lair of the Black Chak.
"Oh yes! Gee whiz! The air we breathe fills all the tunnels but is not found
elsewhere. Stay in the tunnels at all costs! The surface of our world is airless
and bleak. We will show you a glimpse of it before you depart.
"The evil ones appear just as we, but we know their foul stench. They dare not
come here lest we get them, and STOMP them, and RIP them into little PIECES and
FEED them to our DRAGONS, and TEAR off their LEGS and BITE them and KILL them
and..." During this speech, several other Chak begin chanting along with Chumley
and work themselves nearly into a frenzy. Chumley stops suddenly, and things quiet
down. He continues:
"Humph. As you may not be able to tell the difference between good and bad Chak by
smell, assume that all Chak outside our domain are evil. All but Princess Keelee,
of course. Gee whiz! You must find some way to tell her from the others. Do not
harm her! Even the vilest of the evil ones do not dare that. Even they fear the
power of our great and glorious King Sarkum.
"The evil ones have few lightwands, only those they have stolen from us. They lack
our great trade empire, so they cannot get nak or lightwands from the�
Chumley is suddenly interrupted by a great "ha-RUMPH!" from King Sarkum. He
falters, and continues. "Eight pardons, Oh great king. To continue, the evil ones
are not nearly as powerful as we, and glumph with other nasties to reassure
themselves. They have slaves, things that look like you... well, almost. These
slaves have four arms. Gee whiz! I almost forgot. You must fear and flee the great
false one, the Chak that is not a Chak, big as a king, death incarnate. Beware!"
An echoing chorus of "Beware!" comes from all the Chak present. Even the king joins
in for a moment.
"Do you have any questions?" Chumley asks.

The Chak have seen the "great false one," a spider-being as large as King Sarkum,
in the far tunnels. They know that it is not a true Chak because it smells wrong.
It looks very dangerous. Other than that, they know nothing about it, but they
assume that it is a friend of the Black Chak.
The king's advisor knows how to activate and control the tin man (a golem). He
offers to sell this information for 10 sarkums to buy the golem back for 20
sarkums. Refer to the New and Adapted Monsters section for details.
If asked how the tunnels are made, the king's advisor tells the characters how
great purple worms, up to 30 feet long, are trained to dig. These creatures are
called chompers. Trained ones are nearly harmless; wild ones are very dangerous.
Before they go, the king adds a final word. "If you come back without our dear
Keelee, you will have failed, and we shall find someone else to trade with�people
of courage. Gee whiz! You may leave."

C10. View From the Observatory

Some time before leaving for the rescue mission, the PCs are taken to the Chak
observatory for a look at the surface world. Use this encounter whenever it is
convenient.

>>You climb a long spiral ramp through solid rock, accompanied by Ackack and
several other Chak carrying lightwands. The passage is completely lined with nak,
and it finally ends in a wall of the same metal. Ackack produces a cutting tool,
makes a small incision, and listens. "No hiss!" he says happily and continues to
cut open a circular doorway. He steps through, and the rest of the group cautiously
follows.
You enter a large hemispherical dome of nak. The doorway is just above the flat
floor. The dome is about 60 feet across, featureless and black. Ackack tells you
not to produce any light sources, but to wait for a few minutes until the
lightwands start to go out, one by one. None are reactivated. Finally, the last
Chak lightwand blinks out, and the room is plunged into total darkness.
You hear a loud clunk, as if some metal mechanism has been activated. Above you, a
crack appears in the dome. It splits into two halves which slide down to either
side.
There above you is a night sky. A huge ball of soft light beams down from directly
overhead. Around it, glittering like thousands of diamonds on black velvet, are
stars, more and brighter stars than you have ever witnessed. It is an awesome
sight, and everyone stands in silence for a few moments. Then Ackack softly
interrupts the silence with two words as he gestures toward the great luminous orb
in the heavens: "Your home."

The surface area outside the dome is visible once the dome cover has retracted. The
bleak and barren moonscape is marked by huge mountains, inky black shadows, and a
total lack of vegetation, water, or anything else but rock. The dome itself is a
glassy substance, barely visible. There is no air outside of it.
When the PCs are ready to depart, Ackack does something to a section of floor and
the halves of the dome cover start to rise once again. But suddenly, a huge avian
shape rises from a nearby lunar valley, its wings outstretched but not moving. The
creature is heading for the observatory.
"Flee! Flee!" cries Ackack, and the Chak rush out to the ramp. The party should do
the same. After he passes the doorway, Ackack shouts, "Quickly! I must seal the
passage!" He puts the nak disc back in place as soon as the characters are out of
the observatory, but he will not wait long, so anyone who hesitates may be walled
in. Ackack quickly rolls the edges of the doorway disc, sealing it perfectly with
the nak-working tool. As he does so, a loud CRUNCH comes from inside the room.
"Just in time!" pants Ackack. "Gee whiz; have to fix that later." If questioned, he
describes the two predatory creatures of the lunar surface: rock creatures which
stand about 10 feet tall, and huge birds like the one just seen, which have a 70-
foot wing-spread. "They appear similar to birds of your world," Ackack comments,
"but have adapted to ours. Great and fierce creatures they are, who do not know
fear. You will probably not encounter any in your travels, but if you do, beware!
Gee whiz! They are called moon rocs."

The Tunnels of the Black Chak

Wandering Monsters
During the rescue mission, the party may run across wandering bowlers or wild
chompers. Check once during each 120 feet of travel. A I on 1d6 indicates a random
encounter with either 1-4 bowlers (75% chance) or one wild chomper (25% chance).
Bowlers are seen at 40-foot range. A chomper arrives by tunneling from the top,
bottom, or either side of the tunnel (equal chances of each) at a distance of 2-40
feet (2d20).

Digger and Montana

During the recovery of the obelisk. Digger, the gnome thief, met up with Montana,
the dwarf fighter. Montana had been exploring elsewhere and knew nothing of his
extortion
attempt. They joined another party for further adventuring and have been out of the
capital for weeks. Later, after the PCs returned with the obelisk and were
railroaded into entering it. Digger slyly suggested to Montana that together they
might also enter the obelisk to aid their old friends, a suggestion to which
Montana readily agreed.
Because their arrival was unexpected, there was no welcoming committee of Chak in
Tatz Hall. The pair chatted with Tallytal, the brass dragon, evaded the yukky
spiders (whom Montana hated), and headed off into the tunnels. They were eventually
attacked by the Black Chak and became separated. Digger made the best of the
situation, joining the Black Chak, while Montana hid in the tunnels, trying to
survive.
Digger is currently working for the Black Chak and is under the command of the blue
dragon, Henkus (see Encounter D5).

Encounter Key
D1. A Long Walk

Characters are allowed to rest as long as desired before setting out on the rescue
mission. Give the Tunnels of the Black Chak map to the players, and refer to your
own map for the upcoming journey. Remember to give the party two lightwands with
fully charged control rings. Their cash reward will be paid later, if they are
successful.
If the PCs do not possess a nak cutter, the Chak lend them one "just in case." If
the PCs have bought a cutter or have brought the one they found in the maze, the
Chak do not offer a free cutter.
Most of the journey is along a single passage which leads east. Where the corridor
splits, the PCs may continue east by either the north or south route. Only one
encounter occurs on either route, as given hereafter. Be sure that a marching order
is established, and be aware of party light sources, spells running, and so forth.

>>You gallantly set forth on your trek. A few Chak escort you for the first mile or
so, but then they wish you good luck, give a final cheerful "Gee whiz!" and depart.
The nak-lined tunnel continues for a great distance, but finally the limits of
civilization (such as it is) are reached and the corridor becomes rough, bare rock.
You continue onward, cautiously, and travel for a few more hours. Strange thoughts
are in your minds. You are a long way from home, trapped here under the bleak lunar
surface. How ironic it is. You began this bizarre journey at the whim of your king,
only to be trapped by the whim of another. "Gee whiz," as your new friends would
say.
You come to a point where the corridor branches to the northeast and southeast.
Here on the floor lies a broken crossbow bolt. You examine it with interest and
note a puzzling fact: the colors of the fletching are somehow familiar.... Of
course I This matches the bolts carried by your old friend, Montana! But she
couldn't be here, could she?
There are no footprints or traces of passage in this area. If an arrow of direction
is used, it points to the northeast passage, regardless of what is asked.

D2. Tunnel Encounter

>>You cautiously continue through the tunnel, your lights piercing the darkness
ahead. The tunnel winds about, ever turning, and you can see little of what lies
ahead� or behind.

Refer to either encounter D2a or D2b, depending on the route chosen by the party.

D2a. Worm!

>>Suddenly, about 30 feet ahead of (name of character in the lead), the right wall
of the tunnel caves in. Squirming out from it is a huge wormlike monster, purple in
color. Its head is at least 5 feet across, and rows of teeth line its gaping mouth.
It turns its head toward you, but its body is still mostly in the hole it has made.

This is a 30-foot-long chomper. It is a tame one, and its two Chak keepers, Glump
and Nargitch, are close behind it.
If the PCs attack immediately, they are not able to hear the cries of the keepers.
The chomper panics when attacked and starts to burrow down into the tunnel floor.
It squeals each time it is damaged. When the entire worm has disappeared into the
tunnel floor, Nargitch peers out from the new tunnel entrance, lightwand weapon in
hand, to see who is making all the trouble. If the characters attack him, he
returns their attacks, and Glump joins in whenever possible. If their defeat
appears imminent, both of the Chak shift out of phase and return home. Their
weapons remain behind.
If the PCs do not attack it immediately, the chomper turns away from them, closely
followed by its keepers. As they emerge from the tunnel, the two Chak notice the
party with surprise and ask, "Who are you?" They talk peacefully, if permitted to
do so, but always keep their lightwands at the ready. The keepers explain that they
and Fred (the chomper) are busily making new tunnels, and that this is a common
practice. If questioned, the keepers claim that they are loyal to King Sarkum.
The chomper-keepers are, in reality, Black Chak, loyal to Gritch the Grinder. If
attacked after initial conversation, both put up a good fight but shift out of
phase if severely damaged. The chomper tries to escape by tunneling downward. If
taken prisoner, the Chak reveal nothing.
If the characters follow the new tunnel created by the chomper, they cross down to
the southern tunnel.

D2b. Rolling Stones

>>As you trudge along, you get the feeling you're being watched. Suddenly, (name of
character bringing up the rear of the group) is knocked flat. Looking behind, you
see three large boulders where there was clear corridor only a moment before. One
of the boulders has just slammed into (name of character) and has come to a stop
close by. The other boulders are about 20 feet away.

The three huge rocks are a galeb duhr and two animated boulders. One of the
boulders has just hit a character for 10 points of damage. The galeb duhr is the
one furthest away from the party.
Caleb, the galeb duhr, lives in this general area and has become annoyed at the
sound of intruders. Using a passwall spell to enter from a nearby tunnel, he sent
his boulders after the party.
If the PCs attack, Caleb backs off to maximum (60') control range while the
boulders attack fearlessly. The two animated boulders block the passage of all
visible PCs, shielding Caleb from attack. An invisible character can sneak by them.
If the boulders become badly damaged, Caleb retreats into a side tunnel. As he does
so, the boulders suddenly stop and fall over. Caleb immediately closes off his
escape route with a wall of stone.
If Caleb is attacked magically from a distance, he flees immediately, whatever the
damage. If he is engaged by a PC moving invisibly, he drops his concentration on
the boulders and creates a 10-foot pit under the offender via a passwall spell and
then flees. The character must make a saving throw vs. spells or fall into the pit
for 1-6 points of damage. A successful saving throw indicates that the victim has
grabbed the edge of the pit.
If the characters back off and attempt to communicate, Caleb stops the boulders,
leaving them as cover, and shouts from a distance. Unfortunately, he does not speak
or understand any of the characters' languages. Finder's magical helm also fails to
decipher Caleb's language. A tongues spell is needed. As long as the PCs peacefully
attempt to communicate, Caleb prevents the boulders from attacking.
If a tongues spell is used, Caleb introduces himself and his two hard-headed
allies, Thuga and Thugy. The boulders bow politely when introduced. Caleb explains
that he thought the party was a group of intruders from Gritch and apologizes if
the characters reveal that they have come from King Sarkum. He mentions that he met
"two little 'uns, sorta like you. The smaller one gave me a big drink of water from
a tiny bottle." This was Digger, accompanied by Montana. Caleb does not remember
other details, as all humanoids look alike to him. Since Caleb ignores time
utterly, he cannot even estimate when the pair came by�ten minutes ago, or ten
weeks.
When the PCs are ready to depart, Caleb suddenly says, "Hey! Want some junk?" He
has found a nak-metal box, about I foot square. If allowed, he retrieves it and
gives it to the party. Caleb has no use for it. The box is ornately etched (a feat
impossible for the characters to duplicate, even with a cutter or magic), obviously
valuable, and locked (standard chances of picking). It contains 20 sarkums. The box
is worth five sarkums, or 750 gp if sold in the capital city.

D3. Guardian

Both the north and south corridors lead to this large room, and there is no way
around it. The characters may approach it as a group, or they may check it by
scouting ahead.

>>Peering ahead, you see a large, dimly lit room, about 80 feet square and 20 feet
high. Four lightwands are mounted on the walls, one in each corner, about 12 feet
up. A nak-lined, 10-foot-diameter corridor exits from the center of the west wall,
sloping upward.
Standing in the middle of the room, with its left side towards you, is a huge Chak-
like creature about 12 feet tall. You note that its four front legs end in large,
sharp claws, and that it has several eyes. It shifts slightly, starting to turn
away from you.
Suddenly, sounds come from the western corridor�much clacking and running
footsteps! Two Chak appear, scurrying down into the room. Pursuing them is Montana,
ferociously attacking the spiders! Her upraised broadsword glows bright and shows
signs of successful use. Indeed, the Chak appear to be limping on fewer than eight
legs apiece.
But before you can act, the huge creature in the center of the room turns toward
them, moving with great speed. Montana sees it, but she hesitates. A bright blue
ray of light shoots forth from one of the huge spider's eyes and strikes her
squarely. She topples with a thud �a very loud thud. She and all her equipment have
been turned to stone!
The two Chak turn to the large creature and clack at it a few times, and it clacks
back. They then hobble back up the corridor, leaving the creature in the room. It
turns away from the exit and resumes a watchful position.

This is a retriever, the guardian of the entrance to the Black Chak lair. This
construct was made by Demogorgon in the Abyss and was traded to the Black Chak for
items and favors that have no bearing here. It is a simplified version, unable to
transmute victims into mud, lead, or gold.
The retriever does not leave this room. If the PCs attack it from a distance,
without entering the room, it fires all its eyes down the tunnel at them as quickly
as possible, then moves to one side, out of sight. If the characters try to make a
run for it, the retriever quickly moves to block the western tunnel.
The retriever has only a one chance in six of detecting an invisible intruder.
However, once it detects such an intruder, it can follow easily (standard � 4
penalty on "to hit" rolls). If an eye ray is used against an invisible character,
the victim gains a +4 bonus to the applicable saving throw.
The retriever has no special immunities. It dies fairly quickly if the PCs attack
properly. However, there may be a PC death or two if the players are not careful.
Choose eye ray targets randomly among potential victims but try to spread out the
damage. Try not to aim at the same character twice. Rely on melee (those claws are
nasty) if possible. The retriever fights to the death.
When the creature finally falls, the PCs have only a few moments to tend their
injuries and decide what to do about poor Montana. Suddenly, the sound of clacking
comes from the western corridor.
A group of Black Chak have heard the noise of battle. They are coming to gather up
the bodies of the slain intruders. When they see the dead retriever instead, they
panic, scurrying back up the corridor. They can barely conceive of something
powerful enough to defeat the awesome retriever.
The Black Chak flees regardless of PC actions. The characters may try to ambush
them, attack them as they descend, or hide, but the results are the same.
The word is quickly spread, and most of the Black Chak flee from the fierce
invading PCs. If the characters pursue quickly, any Chak encountered shifts out of
phase rather than face their attackers. The corridors are empty within minutes. If
the characters save Montana, she tells them about entering the obelisk with Digger
but can remember little else. She has not seen Digger since they were separated in
battle with some huge spiders, and she is unaware that Digger has since sold out to
the Black Chak.
The western corridor leads directly to the Black Chak jail.

D4. Jail

>>The tunnel from the retriever's room curves upward slightly, rising 10 feet over
its 50-foot length before opening into another room.
This area is very large, almost 200 feet long, 70 feet wide, and 30 feet high. The
walls, floor, and ceiling are lined with nak metal. Twelve nak-covered boxes
protrude from the floor. Each box is 10 feet square and 2 feet high. The boxes are
arranged in four rows of three boxes each. In the floor at the north end of the
room is a huge pit, 50 feet across.
Twenty small tunnels, each about 5 feet in diameter and lined with nak, exit the
room along the east wall near the floor. You catch glimpses of several Chak
therein, but they back off quickly when they see you.
You hear someone crying. It doesn't sound like a Chak.

Discourage the players from entering the western tunnels. They lead to other areas
of the Black Chak lair, and they are neither needed nor mapped for this adventure.
If players persist, describe the other areas briefly (small rooms, many more
tunnels, some webs, no treasure). The entire area has been abandoned by the
frightened Black Chak.
Each of the protrusions on the jail floor is the top of a 10-foot cubic box set
into the floor. There are prisoners in all of the boxes. Close inspection reveals
dozens of tiny air holes in the top of each box. The PCs can also find an
inscription on each box, and Finder's magic helm can translate these. They are
simply the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, II, 12, 13, and 14, one per box as
noted on the map. These are consecutive numbers in base 8.
The box-cells have been enchanted to prevent other-planar travel and are thus
detectable as magical. The pit also detects as magical. Characters approaching it
can see that it is full of a swirling whirlpool of reddish-gray mist. No sight,
magical or otherwise, can penetrate the mist. There is no other magic in the room
(except, of course, that brought by the PCs).
The box-cells are easily opened by using a nak-cutter, but no other means succeeds.
The crying is coming from cell 10. It is Digger. Once the PCs have had a chance to
talk with him (preferably about 2-3 turns after the room is entered), the pit
becomes active (see The Jailer).

Cells 1-7
Each of these cells contains a Chak prisoner of neutral alignment. Whenever one of
these cells is opened, use the description below.

>>You are looking down into a nak-metal box. At the bottom, sitting on the floor
looking up at you, is a Chak. It immediately starts jumping up and down and cries
out in human Common, "Gee whiz! Gee whiz! Have you come to save me? I am the
Princess Keelee! Has my father, Sarkum the Great, sent you?"

All seven of these female Chak claim to be the princess. They all believe it, too.
They have been magically charmed and then psionically hypnotized. The real princess
is one of the seven (determine at random) and she, too, has been charmed, but not
hypnotized. All the Chak prisoners are friendly and helpful.
A detect lie spell is of little use, as the subjects all believe the story they are
telling to be true. All the Chak prisoners detect as charmed. Dispel magic removes
the charms automatically but does not remove the psionic hypnosis.
When any false princess is taken outside the jail room without first removing the
charm, the hypnosis causes her to attack her rescuers by biting. The false
princesses are actually Black Chak, not from King Sarkums group, despite their
neutral alignment. (They are "camp followers." Decorum prohibits further
elaboration.) However, if the charm is removed, they are slightly more clearheaded
and are able to fight the hypnosis enough to resist attacking the PCs. They do,
however, inform the PCs that they "feel a strange compulsion to attack you. Gee
whiz!"
Any Chak prisoner may be talked into "sniffing" the others. While still insisting
that she is the Princess Keelee, a Chak prisoner should eventually find the true
princess by smell ("Gee whiz! She smells like a princess, too!"). Of course, if
none of the others smells like a princess, the sniffer is undoubtedly Keelee.
The players may have deduced some other means of success. Judge as you see fit. The
PCs may end up taking everyone from the jail anyway, as a general rescue mission,
and this should succeed admirably if the charms are removed before departing.

Cell 10
The PC's old friend Digger is imprisoned here. He has been crying, but is overjoyed
at the prospect of rescue, promising anything to achieve this result. His actual
motives are evil. Digger tells the party about the Great Dragon in the area,
carefully using only true statements.

>>"It's like a hydra, but definitely draconian. It has many heads, all of different
colors. The Chak here say that it started visiting after they bought a big spider-
machine from a demon with two heads. That demon made a gate, somewhere around here,
so the dragon could visit."

Cells II & 13
Each of these cells contains a glommer (four-armed ape) being punished for some
reason. The glommer tries to attack immediately. It can leap the 10-foot height of
the cube and, if PCs have made an opening 2 feet across or larger, it escapes and
attacks.
Cells 12 & 14
Each of these cells contains a peaceful glommer. Each radiates magic (a charm).
Each has been carefully coached to say, when the cage is opened, "Gee whiz! I am da
Princess Keelee! I've been changed! Save me! I am cursed!" They can say nothing
more. If allowed out of their cages, they remain peaceful until taken from the jail
but attack at that time. Any glommer damaged to less than 10 hp tries to flee back
into the Black Chak lair.

D6. The Jailer

Warning: This is the final encounter of the mission, and it is very complex. Read
it entirely before starting.
The pit in the north end of the jail is an entry into the home of Henkus, an
average-sized, very old blue dragon. He is originally from the PCs' planet but came
here (via an obelisk) and found a peaceful life with the Black Chak, away from the
terrible humans.
The mist in the pit is a natural effect with a stinking cloud added at the moment
by Henkus. The sides of the pit lead down at a 45-degree angle and are not nak-
lined, so Henkus can climb up easily at 8" movement rate.
Henkus has suggested an ambush for Diggers former friends, to wipe out the party
and get their valuables. Diggers job is to get things ready by telling the PCs
about a multi-headed dragon named Tiamat. Henkus then follows up with an illusion
of her. Diggers statements to the PCs are true, but carefully worded. Demogorgon
has indeed been here to sell the retriever to the Chak but he has not returned, nor
has an actual gate been created although it sure looks like one and is detectable
as magical. Digger cooperates with the party until they are slain by Henkus or
until an attack from behind would come in handy during melee.
Henkus casts a phantasmal force spell after hearing Digger tell the PCs about
Tiamat. It is preferable for you to time this event to occur before the PCs have
finished opening and examining all the jail cells. In any case it cannot happen
until after they have spoken with Digger. Be sure you know the approximate
positions of all the PCs before starting.

>>There is a noise from the pit. Suddenly, five dragon heads start to rise from
within the mist: white, black, red, green, and blue. It is the creature Digger
described. The heads rise 10 feet off the floor; the necks reach down into the
mist. Five pairs of eyes are watching you closely.
All the prisoners you have released dive back into their boxes, if possible, or run
to a far corner and quiver, exclaiming, "Gee whiz!"
Digger has visibly paled and is quivering, whispering, "oh, no..." He suddenly
makes a break for it, running and leaping for the western tunnels. The white head
turns and sends a shimmering cone of frost at him and he falls, frozen, as the ice
covers him and a 20-foot-wide area around him. The distraction has not caused the
other four pairs of eyes even to blink; they watch you still.

Tiamat is a phantasmal force cast and controlled by Henkus, who is the blue dragon
head within the illusion. Thus, the blue dragon head does all the talking for
Tiamat.
If the characters talk to her, Tiamat demands that they leave the spider prisoners
and apes here and depart immediately. She also demands one magic item as payment
for the PC intrusion into her jail. She attacks if not obeyed. Tiamat's speech
seems to be a bit slow; Henkus must be very careful not to break his concentration
on the illusion.

Disbelief
Do not outline the available options to the players, but be aware of the three
possible modes of action available to each PC and their results:
1. The PC believes the illusion completely. All damage is treated as real, but
saving throws may be made for half damage.
2. The PC disbelieves the illusion of Tiamat completely, including the blue dragon
head. All illusory damage has no effect. Real damage from Henkus's lightning breath
is full (63 pts). No saving throw applies.
3. The PC disbelieves everything except the blue dragon head, since it does the
talking. Illusory damage has no effect. The normal saving throw may be made against
Henkus's lightning breath.
Any PC who disbelieves some or all of Tiamat must totally ignore her or the parts
disbelieved. You may roll dice to reassure the players, but announce no change in
the illusion regardless of disbelief.
Any characters trying to check on Digger either slide on the slippery ice (if they
believe that the white dragon head breathed) and find Digger frozen, or (if they
disbelieve) do not slip at all and find Digger still warm but apparently
unconscious.
If the PCs attack anything but the blue head, they are believing in the illusion
and Tiamat counters with breaths and bites. Handle melee as described above. Each
head has 16 hp; the body is not a visible target. If all the heads are "slain," the
body immediately descends into the mist.
If some PCs disbelieve while others take action, aim the first illusory breath to
catch one believer and one disbeliever. The disbeliever takes absolutely no damage,
and this should be a clue to the others.

Tiamat: AC 0; HD 16; hp 16/head; #AT 5 bites or breaths; THACO 7; Dmg see below; SZ
L; AL LE; IN Genius; STs 2, STw 2.
Special Attacks:
White head: 56 point cone-shaped cold breath (7"x 2 1/2" diameter); bite 2d8 points
Black head: 64 point line-shaped acid breath (6" x 1/2" diameter); bite 3d6 points
Green head: 72 point cloud-shaped gas breath (5" x 4" x 3" high); bite 2d10 points
Blue head: Nil (concentrating on the illusion)
Red head: 88 point cone-shaped fire breath (9" x 3" diameter); bite 3d10 points

Henkus drops the illusion and attacks as a blue dragon if the PCs either disbelieve
everything and are taking no damage or if they believe nothing except the blue head
(himself). If everyone is ignoring all of Tiamat, Henkus carefully catches as many
PCs as possible with his first lightning breath. If everyone seems to be
concentrating on the blue head, Henkus attacks with everything he can. Note that,
although Henkus can talk slowly while concentrating on the illusion, he cannot use
his breath weapon or otherwise attack. He must drop the illusion to engage the PCs.
He uses his spells, if possible, to his best advantage. The web spell, in
particular, should be used against spell casters. When seriously attacked, he can
cast an invisibility spell.
Digger joins in the melee. He adds missile fire at spell casters or, if few PCs are
left, may try to attack from behind. If caught, he surrenders and asks for a trial
in the capital city, where he knows that the Thieves' Guild will help him.
Henkus can certainly be subdued, at normal chances of success. If given the chance,
he surrenders when reduced to 12 or fewer hit points.
The pit slopes gently downward about 50 feet and opens into a spacious room with
large tunnel exits. Henkuss treasure is here: 3,000 platinum pieces, 150 sarkums,
40 gems (total value 16,000 gp), 20 pieces of jewelry (total value 20,000 gp), a
potion of extra-healing, a potion of flying, a potion of speed, and two lightwands
with control rings (10 charges each). Henkus begs to keep a few platinum pieces,
gems, jewelry and sarkums. He offers a deal: if the PCs ever need a friend on the
moon....

Blue Dragon (Henkus): AC 2; MV 9" /24" ; HD 9; hp 63; #AT 3; THACO 12; Dmg 1-6/1-
6/3-24; SZ L (42' long); AL LE: IN Very; STs 8, STw 7.
Special Attacks: lightning bolt breath (100'x 5'); spells (see below)
Charm Person (C 1s, R 12")
Comprehend Languages (C 1r, R Touch, DR 45r)
Magic Missile (C Is, R 15", 5d4+5)
Invisibility (C 2s)
Stinking Cloud (already used)
Web (C 2s, R 4.5", DR 18T; 8 cu", I" min dimension)
Phantasmal Force (already used)

Digger: AC 1 (AC without shield = 4, AC rear = 7); MV 9"; hp 40; #AT I dagger or 2
arrows; THACO 16 (19 as thief); Dmg by weapon (plus adjustments, see below); SZ S
(3'4"); AL N(E); IN Ave (8); STs 13, STw 12.
Special Abilities: Modify attacks for STR 17 (+1/+1), DEX 17 (+2 to missiles),
dagger +2, shortbow +2, 8 arrows +1; attack from behind for triple damage; MS 72%,
HS 59%, CW 81%

After the melee, the player characters can easily re-rescue all the prisoners. No
Black Chak bother them unless they spend more than 12 hours in the jail and
retriever room area. If they rest for that long in this area, a squad of six Black
Chak, all armed with lightwands, sneak up and attack, gaining a +1 bonus to
surprise.

D6. Return

No events or encounters occur on the trip back. If the PCs bring the princess back
alive (whether or not they can identify her), they gain the good will of King
Sarkum, the trade agreement (and a percentage of the trade revenue), and the 25
sarkum reward (per survivor) for the rescue. The party gets
a bonus of five sarkums for each additional live Chak rescued. Even glommers are
worth one sarkum each. The PCs may return home at any time, where they will be
welcomed, cheered, beset by pleas, praised, and eventually forgotten.
If the PCs fail to return with the princess, or if they bring back her body (raise
dead attempts fail), they get a saddened, "Gee whiz! Thanks for trying, anyway,"
from King Sarkum. The PCs must return the two loaned lightwands and are sent home.
The obelisk is then turned off remotely by the Chak. It remains still and quiet
until, a few years later, Sarkum has a problem and wants to see those valiant
adventurers who visited last time.

************************************
INSIDE GATEFOLD

COMBINED MONSTERS STATISTICS TABLE

Name AC HD hp #AT Damage MV AL THACO Book SA SD

Grippli 9 1+1 5 1 1d4 9"//15" N 18 MM2 Yes No
or spear
Grippli
Attendant
8 2 16 1 ld4+l 9"//15" N 16 MM2 Yes No
& special
Grippli
Tribal
Mother 7 3 24 1 ld6+l 9"//15" N 16 MM2 Yes
No
& special

Bullywug
6 1 5 3 or 1 1-2/ 3"//15" CE 19 FF Yes Yes
1-2/
2-5
or weapon +
poison
Bullywug
Chieftain
2 3 28 3 or 1 3-4/ 3"//15" CE 16 FF Yes Yes
3-4/
4-7

Bullywug
Sub-Chief
2 2 12 3 or 1 2-3/ 3"//15" CE 16 FF Yes Yes
2-3/
3-6
or weapon +
poison

Bullywug
Shaman 6 1+7 11 3 or 1 1-2/ 3"//15" CE 16 FF Yes
Yes
1-2/
2-5
or weapon

Dragonfly,
giant 3 7 35 1 3-12 1" /36" n 12 MM2 Yes Yes

Snake, giant
constrictor
5 6+1 30 2 1-4/ 9" N 13 MM Yes No
2-8

Snake, giant
poisonous
5 4+2 25 1 1-3+ 15" N 15 MM Yes No
poison

Spider, huge
6 2+2 12 1 1-6+ 18" N 16 MM Yes No
special

Spider, giant
4 4+4 25 1 2-8+ 3" *12" CE 15 MM Yes No
special

Wasp, giant
4 4 25 2 2-8/1-4 6" /21" N 15 MM Yes No
+poison

Bowler
4 1/2-1 2-5 1 bowler 6" + N 20 MM2 Yes Yes
hp special

Chak 5 5 26 2 1d6+ 9" *12" Any 15 New Yes Yes

(0 if ar- shots poison
mored) or or by
1 bite weapon

Chomper
5 9 40 1 bite/ 2d8/ 9" N 12 Mod. Yes No
1 sting 1d4 +
poison
Galeb Duhr
-2 9 34 1 2-16, 6" N 12 Mod. Yes Yes
3-18,
or 4-25

Animated
Boulder 0 9 40 1 4d6 3" N 12 MM2 No Yes

Glommer
5 6 30 4 1d4 12" NE 13 Adapt. Yes No
(X4) or
weapon

Roc, Moon
4 18 87 2 claws 3d6/ 3"/24" N 7 Adapt No No
or 3d6 or
1 beak 4d6

Tin Man
6 6 27 1 1-8 9" N 13 New No Yes
axe/
l-4 fist

Basidirond
4 5+5 35 1 2d4 + 6" N(E) 13 MM2 Yes Yes
smother

Ankhkeg
2/4 8 50 1 3d6 + 12" (6") N 13 MM Yes No
1d4 acid

Mantrap
6 8 55 4 victim's 0 N MM2 Yes No
AC rear

Mantis, giant
3 10 70 1 2d6 6" /12" N 10 MM2 Yes Yes
grab/
3d4 bite

Pirate 6 1-1 4 1 1-8 12" NE 20 MM No No

(scimitar)

Pirate Sergeant
4 2 8 1 2-9 12" NE 16 MM No No

Pirate Lieutenant
3 3 16 1 3-10 12" NE 16 MM Yes Yes

Pirate Captain
2 4 18 1 3-10 12" NE 15 MM Yes Yes

Pirate
Magic-User
9 7 40 1 1-4 12" NE 19 MM Yes Yes
(dagger)
or spell
Pirate Cleric
4 5 30 1 2-7 12" NE 18 MM Yes Yes
(flail)
or spell

Dragon, brass
2 7 34 3 1-4/ 12"/24" CG MM Yes No
1-4/
4-16

Retriever
-2 10 60 4 3d6 18" CE 10 FF Yes No
claw/ (X4)
2 eye + rays
ray

"Tiamat"
0 16 16/ 5 special nil LE 7 � Yes No
head

Blue Dragon
2 9 63 3 1-6/ 9" /24" LE 12 MM Yes No
1-6/
3-24

*********************************

OUTSIDE GATEFOLD

CHARACTER SUMMARY

Char# 1 2 3 4 5 6
Class Ftr M-U CL Thf F/M C/R

STR 18/49 7 9 10 15 18(23)

INT 6 18 9 9 17 13
WIS 10 12 18 7 9 14
DEX 15 15 11 18 15 8
CON 17 15 15 17 10 15
CHA 9 8 13 14 9 7
LEVEL 8 9 9 10 5/8 5/7
RACE Hum Hum Hum Hfg Elf H-E
ALIGN N N NG N N NG
AC norm -2 3 2 0 0 4
AC rear 1 4 4 4 3 4
hp 80 35 50 55 35 45
Skills PP 95
OL 87
FT 75
MS 98
HS 88
HN 35
CW 84
RL 45
Potions X-HI X-HI Dimn Heal Heal ACtI
FRes Fly Fly Poly Speed X-HI
WtrB Invs Heal WtrB Hro SWtr
 (2) (X2) Lev
Charged arws wand wand keog wand
Items +1: 23 21 oint 1:24
6 stff 4 P:9
12 brch
53

MAGICAL ITEM SUMMARY

(potions listed in character summary)

#1 Blondy (Fighter): Plate +2, shield +1, 2-handed sword +1, spear +1, longsword
+2/+4 vs. giants, arrows +1 (6)

#2 Slim (Magic-User): Bracers of defense (AC 4), dagger + 3, dagger +1, portable
hole, wand of negation (23 chg), staff striking (12 chg)

#3 Smiley (Cleric): Chain +1, shield +1, hammer +2, mace +1, ring of free action,
wand of magic detection (21 chg)

#4 The Ghost (Halfling Thief): Bracers of defense (AC 4), dagger +2/+3 vs. large,
dagger +1, dagger +3, sling +1, shortsword +2, ring of invisibility, Keoghtom's
ointment (4 doses)

#5 Blaze (Elf Fighter/M-U): Chain +2, shield +1, shortbow +1, spear +2, bastard
sword flametongue (+1, +2 vs. regenerating, +3 vs. avian or cold-using, +4 vs.
undead), wand of illumination (24), wand of paralyzation (9), brooch of shielding
(53)

#6 Finder (Half-Elf Cleric/Ranger): Bracers of defense (AC 4), 2-handed sword +1,
defender longsword +3, flail +2, helm of comprehending languages and reading magic,
arrow of direction

**********************************
INSERT WITH CHARACTER STATISTICS

The Ghost

10th Level Halfling Thief

Strength: 10 AC, normal: 0

Intelligence: 9 AC, rear: 4
Wisdom: 7 Hit points: 55
Dexterity: 18 # Attacks:
Constitution: 17 THACO: 16
Charisma: 14 Alignment: N

Weapon Proficiencies 4: dagger, dart, sling, shortsword

Equipment: bracers of defense (AC 4); dagger+3; dagger +2/+3 vs. large; dagger +1;
sling +1; shortsword +2; ring of invisibility; Keoghtoms ointment (4 doses);
potions of healing, polymorph self, water breathing (2 doses)

Languages: common, dwarven, elven, gnome, goblin, halfling, orcish

Thieving Skills (race and dexterity included):

PP OL FT MS HS HN CW RL
95 87 75 98 88 35 84 45
If alone or in advance, surprise 4/6, or 2/6 with door.

The Ghost left home while young, scorning the dull burrow life for a world full of
adventure. He is an independent person but very insecure and afraid of being
ignored. Therefore, he tries to act mysterious and sly, and often wears strange,
dramatic clothing.
He likes being noticed by friends and associates, whatever the reason. Sometimes he
plays tricks just to get their attention. The Ghost has studied traps and other
mechanical devices. He likes to construct new things in his spare time. Back home,
he's almost finished a new kind of lock which uses a dial and numbers instead of a
key.
A long time ago, Blondy noticed one of The Ghost's pranks�he lifted her purse� and
almost killed him. No sense of humor!
The Ghost thinks Slim is too serious, and suspicious as well, always watching the
halfling closely, almost as if he still thinks
The Ghost might be evil. The Ghost lets Smiley think that the cleric has reformed
him. Smiley's always good for a cure, now, if properly approached.
The halfling cooperates well with Blaze, the elf fighter/magic-user, but they
aren't especially fond of each other. He's careful to check for her actions in
combat; no sense getting caught in a fireball.
If it weren't for his ranger skills. Finder would be a real loser: a moral
extremist, super-good type who gets on The Ghost's nerves constantly. However, the
halfling tries to stay on the cleric/ranger's good side (though it rarely appears)
in case he needs a cure.
The Ghost doesn't know much about Montana, the dwarf fighter, and doesn't
particularly want to know more. He thinks she's a loudmouth and a showoff. Digger,
the gnome, as another Thieves' Guild member, is The Ghost's closest friend and ally
when things get tough.

Blaze

5th Level Elf Fighter

8th Level Elf Magic-User

Strength: 15 AC, normal: 0

Intelligence: 17 AC, rear: 3
Wisdom: 9 Hit points: 35
Dexterity: 15 # Attacks:
Constitution: 10 THACO: 16
Charisma: 9 Alignment: N

Weapon Proficiencies: 5 as fighter: shortbow, lance, spear, bastard sword,

longsword; 2 as magic user: dagger, staff

Equipment: chain mail +2; shield +1; shortbow +1; spear +2; bastard sword +1
flametongue (+2 vs. regenerating, +3 vs. cold-using and avian, +4 vs. Undead); wand
of illumination (24 charges); wand of paralyzation (9 charges); brooch of shielding
(absorbs 53 points); potions of healing, speed, super-heroism

Languages: common, elvish, gnoll, gnome, goblin, halfling, hobgoblin, orcish,

treant, giant common
Blaze is a small, quiet lady with a big punch, both in melee and magic. As short as
a dwarf, but much thinner, she is sensitive about her size. Her red hair, very rare
among elves, marks her in a crowd and is the source of her common name. She came
from a poor, backwoods, low elf family, and this is her dark secret. She never
talks about her past, having been a bandit, a notorious criminal, a beggar, and a
scavenger. Though many years ago she was an evil renegade, she left the old ways
and found success and respect in the world of humans.
Blaze likes magic in all forms. It's the most wonderful thing she has ever found.
She absolutely hates poor people, dirtiness, and anything that reminds her too
strongly of her past. She occasionally enjoys destruction, the thrill of blowing
away groups of enemies during adventures. Sometimes Blaze is a bit trigger happy.
Blaze gets along fairly well with Blondy, the human fighter. Sometimes Blaze lends
her the flametongue sword, especially when Undead are around and she wants to stay
back and use magic.
Blaze coordinates spells with Slim, the human magic-user, for obvious reasons. He
sometimes acts like a father to her, although she's over six times his age. She
thinks he's a jerk, but a powerful jerk, and very smart. She doesn't antagonize
him.
Blaze is very, very careful around Smiley. Clerics are good at prying out
information. However, he is a big help against Undead.
She cooperates with The Ghost, but both are very independent. The halfling is
always careful not to get in the way of her magic.
Blaze thinks a good family background is wasted on Finder. The half-elf
cleric/ranger is clumsy and often disagreeable, a goody-goody boob.
Montana, the dwarf, is a good fighter but quite brash. Blaze and Montana snipe at
each other occasionally, but are never actually hostile.
Blaze is not sure what Digger's problem is, but the gnome is always watching her.
He seems to be afraid of something and keeps trying to make friends, but she can
tell its just a false front.

Finder

Half-Elf
5th Level Cleric
7th Level Ranger

Strength: 18 AC, normal: 4

Intelligence: 13 AC, rear: 4
Wisdom: 14 Hit points: 45
Dexterity: 8 # Attacks:
Constitution: 15 THACO: 14
Charisma: 7 (14) Alignment: NG

Weapon Proficiencies: 5 as ranger: longbow, lance, spear, longsword, two-handed

sword; 3 as cleric: hammer, flail, mace

Equipment: bracers of defense (AC 4); flail +2; longsword +3 defender, two-handed
sword +1; helm of comprehending languages and reading magic; arrow of direction;
potions of animal control (all), extra-healing, levitation, sweet water

Special Abilities: infravision 60', detect secret doors 1/6 passing, 2/6 searching;
concealed doors 1/6 passing, 3/6 searching

Languages: common, elvish, gnoll, gnome, goblin

Spells (includes Wisdom bonus): 5, 3, 1

Finder is more than what he seems. Although exceptionally strong and respectably
intelligent and wise, he keeps most of his traits hidden. Finder has camouflaged
himself in apparent mediocrity so that he seems completely average, or worse. He
can be charming if he wishes (actual Charisma 14) but is keeping up a front; that
of a slightly clumsy, often disagreeable, blend-in-with-the-crowd type. It's better
at this point, he thinks, to play the fool and stay in the background. Finder is
very, very good with lawful tendencies.
He likes collecting information about people, places, and things in his notebook.
He hates evil above all and also dislikes the petty squabbles of small-minded
people. Finder's friends think that he has rooms in town, and indeed he does.
However, his real home is in his church. He keeps the church elders up to date on
the SMART organization and the underground activity in the capital, and passes
along other information as he acquires it.
Finder and Blondy, the fighter, were once close, but she drew back from the
relationship. He wishes he could be his true self with her, but for now is content
to watch out for her safety.
Finder thinks Slim, the magic-user, is a bit pompous and resents his sneers at
goodness. Smiley is Finder's only close friend. The rotund cleric often helps
Finder with spell selection, even though they are not of the same church.
Montana, the dwarf, thinks Finder is boring and too good. At least she's honest
about her preferences. The Ghost pretends to be friends, but Finder knows that the
halfling thief just wants the cures. Nevertheless, Finder plays along; the poor
little thing seems to need the attention.
Blaze seems to pity Finder for some unknown reason. He knows her secret, but she
doesn't realize that her red hair reveals her heritage. She must have once lived
the rough-and-tumble life of the rare renegade elves. Finder thinks she's quite
mysteriously attractive.
Finder senses an evil streak deep within Digger, the gnome, even though the little
fighter/thief keeps it carefully hidden as he tries to gain his friendship.

Blondy

5th Level Human Fighter

Strength: 18 AC, normal:-2

Intelligence: 6 AC, rear: 1
Wisdom: 10 Hit points: 80
Dexterity: 15 # Attacks: 3/2 rounds
Constitution: 17 THACO: 14
Charisma: 9 Alignment: N

Weapon Proficiencies 6: longsword, 2-handed sword, longbow, spear, dart, lance

Equipment: plate mail +2; shield +1; sword +1; spear +1', 6 arrows +1; potions of
extra-healing, fire resistance, water breathing (2 doses)

Blondy is always polite and patient. She is tanned, healthy, and in excellent
shape� and takes pains to stay that way. She usually doesn't talk much, offering
short answers in discussions and shrugging a lot. However, if she gets mad, she may
start a tirade, repeating herself often to make a point.
Blondy likes flying, swimming, skin diving, and horseback riding, and dislikes
"smarties"�those who show off their intellect.
It's difficult for Blondy to understand Slim, the human magic-user, because he is
always so serious. His interest in exercise and nutrition, however, has been very
useful to her, and she has gotten some good advice about eating the proper foods
from him.
While no one would think of kidding Slim about his stick-thin body, Blondy once
teased Smiley, the cleric, about his rotund shape. She only did it once, though,
because he got really mad.
When Blondy first met The Ghost, she almost killed him for trying to pick her
pocket, but that's all forgiven and forgotten. Blaze, the elf fighter/magic-user,
gets along well with Blondy, but she can cause trouble because she doesn't like
Montana. Sometimes Blondy and Blaze trade weapons temporarily, especially against
undead.
Finder, the half-elf cleric/ranger, likes Blondy and used to make passes at her.
However, she told him off a few years ago and now he just watches her a lot.
To look at them, you wouldn't think Blondy and Montana, the dwarf, would have much
in common, but sometimes the two of them talk together far into the night
after everyone else has gone to sleep.
Digger, the gnome fighter, once saved Blondy's life when she was caught in a fiery
trap. She feels indebted to him, but doesn't really like him very much.

Slim

9th Level Human Magic-User

Strength: 7 AC, normal: 3

Intelligence: 18 AC, rear: 4
Wisdom: 12 Hit points: 35
Dexterity: 15 # Atacks:
Constitution: 15 THACO: 19
Charisma: 8 Alignment: N

Weapon Proficiencies 2: dagger, staff

Equipment: bracers of defense (AC 4); dagger+3; dagger +1; portable hole; wand of
negation (23 charges); staff of striking (12 charge); potions of extrahealing,
flying, invisibility

Spells: 4,3,3,2,1
Spells in spell book:
Level 1: dancing lights, enlarge, erase, feather fall, magic missile, protection
from evil, read magic, shocking grasp
Level 2: detect invisibility, invisibility, knock, magic mouth
Level 3: dispel magic, fly, lightning bolt, slow Level 4: charm monster, dimension
door, polymorph self

Level 5: extension II, passwall

Slim is a serious student of his craft. Because of his thin build and low strength,
he exercises and watches his diet closely. He has opinions about nearly everything
and sometimes talks too much, assuming a lead role. His sharp, perceptive comments
are sometimes lost on the others.
Slim likes philosophical discussions and dislikes people who can't keep up with his
mental speed. He likes reading and writes exciting stories in his spare time.
Sometimes he gets so interested in his studies that he forgets to exercise, often
for days. A long-time bachelor, he has a suite of rooms in the castle of his
mentor, the noted court wizard Felonius.
Slim has given Blondy, the fighter, some help with her diet, but he often becomes
impatient with her lack of understanding.
Aside from his rotund appearance, Smiley, the cleric, is a very likeable person,
but Slim avoids standing next to him. Other people sometimes make unflattering
comparisons about the two of them.
Slim doesn't completely trust the halfling thief known as The Ghost, and prefers to
keep a detect invisibility spell running to keep an eye on him.
By coordinating Blazes spells with his own, the two magic-users can handle almost
anything. Blaze seems almost childlike to Slim, and he has to continually remind
himself that she is nearly as talented as he is.
Slim gets along passably well with Finder, but sometimes the half-elf cleric/ranger
is almost sickeningly good�definitely an extremist, Slim thinks.
Montana, the dwarf, has a penchant for levitating during combat, which often
irritates Slim because it gets in the way of his spells.
Digger, the gnome fighter/thief, has a sense of black humor that is sometimes
irritating, but Slim and Digger get along quite well. Digger often carries Slims
spell book in his bag of holding.

Smiley

9th Level Human Cleric

Strength: 9 AC, normal: 2

Intelligence: 9 AC, rear: 4
Wisdom: 18 Hit points: 50
Dexterity: 11 # Attacks:
Constitution: 15 THACO: 16
Charisma: 13 Alignment: NG

Spells: 6,6,4,3,1

Weapon Proficiencies 3: club, hammer, mace

Equipment: chain mail +1; shield +1; hammer +2; mace +1; ring of free action; wand
of magic detection (21 charges); potions of diminution, flying, healing

Smiley is a fat, jolly churchman, dedicated to bringing peace and happiness to the
world (starting with his allies). He has a weight problem and has grown too wide
for any available plate mail. He's looking for better chain mail but isn't
seriously trying to trim down; its too much trouble. Usually good-humored and
optimistic, Smiley tries to find the best in everyone and everything. Most of his
comrades aren't as forgiving as he is, and Smiley's trying to show them a more
good-oriented outlook through word and deed.
He finds demi-humans fascinating and is studying their psychology. He dislikes evil
to the extreme, often praying over his enemies before he slays them. Smiley is also
a connoisseur of excellent food and drink who can often identify a wine's year and
place of manufacture. He is a leading authority on elven wines and dwarven ales of
the last 500 years. When he is not adventuring, Smiley runs a small, expensive
restaurant in the capital city.
When Blondy, the fighter, kids Smiley about his weight, he pretends to get mad (but
he isn't, really). He does avoid standing too close to Slim, the magic-user. That
seems to generate unfavorable comments and comparisons from others.
Smiley believes that his prayers and lectures helped turn The Ghost, that
irrepressible halfling thief, from his evil life of crime and dishonesty.
Smiley finds Blaze, the elf fighter/magic-user, a mysterious sort. His other elven
contacts reveal more information than she does. He tends to watch for her actions
as good clues in fast-response situations. She depends on him for protection from
Undead.
Smiley is tolerant of Finder. The half-elf cleric/ranger is nearly hopeless as a
cleric, Smiley believes. However, he often helps Finder select and coordinate
spells.
Sometimes Smiley feels Montana, the dwarf, is a little too bloodthirsty, but she's
been a valuable source of information about dwarven lifestyles�and dwarven ale.
Digger, the gnome fighter, has a black sense of humor that can sometimes be
irritating, but Smiley has learned to appreciate it and can now fluently engage in
witty gnomish repartee�to his delight.