Official Game Adventure

HORDES OF DRAGONSPEAR
An Adventure for Characters of Levels 10-12

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Druid’s Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8

Plot Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Roaring Deep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0
The Hordes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Under the Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2
BATTLESYSTEM™ Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Labyrinth Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Allies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Return to the Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4
BATTLESYSTEM Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Against the Hordes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6
The Town of Daggerford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 BATTLESYSTEM game map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7
Places of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Aftermath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8
The Army of Daggerford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 Appendix: Monstrous Compendium . . . . . . 2 9
Council of War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Baatezu, General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Battle at the Way Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 Baatezu, Greater—Cornugon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
BATTLESYSTEM game map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Baatezu, Greater—Pit Fiend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Into the Misty Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 Baatezu, Lesser—Barbazu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Credits

Design: William W. Connors Cartography: Steve Beck

Editing: C. Terry Phillips Typography: Gaye O’Keefe
Cover Art: Doug Chaffee Production: Paul Hanchette
Interior Art: Arnie Swekel

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ISBN 1-56076-333-7
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Introduction

Mark my words, there is something dark Plot Synopsis

there. Some evil force grows at the heart
of that ruin. For now, it is content to dwell This adventure begins with the heroes
in the darkness for it fears the light of day. at Daggerford when word comes of a
Soon, however, it will grow so powerful great force of goblins and kobolds moving
that not even the shadows can contain it. out of the Misty Forest. The local militia is
Dauravyn Redbeard setting out at once to counter this new
Keeper of The Way Inn threat to the Trade Way. When the militia’s
leader is injured, the PCs are called on to
All who live within several hundred take charge of these green troops.
miles have heard the name of Dragon- With the heroes in charge, the Army of
spear Castle and know its import. Once Daggerford heads south. They come
home to the proud and brave, the castle is across the humanoids at the Way Inn.
now a ruin cloaked behind a history of Here, they join with a group of merce-
murder and diabolic plots. Few go there, naries, battle the Marauders, and, with a
for the only reward to be garnered is little luck, defeat them. Much to their hor-
death. ror, they discover a cornugon (Vrag) at the
Actually the problem is not Dragon- head of the horde.
spear itself. The old ruined castle, though Leaving the massed forces behind in the
rumored to have a portal to the sinister care of their new leader, the PCs enter the
planes, is only a symbol for the evils that Misty Forest. Here, they come across a
surge out of the wastes of the High Moor. wild elf living like a beast in the wilder-
Once, not too many years ago, the orcs ness. He is quite insane. The heroes cure
and trolls of the High Moor ruled from him and learn several things. First, they
that broken keep, rampaging throughout learn that his tribe was destroyed by an ar-
the area, cutting the Trade Way, and my of humanoids that came down from
threatening the good people from Dagger- the High Moors. (He was the leader of his
ford to Boarskyr Bridge. tribe and was taken prisoner. In chains, he
The armies of Waterdeep and Baldur’s was brought to Dragonspear Castle.) Sec-
Gate ended the reign of terror when they ond, they learn that the leader of the en-
laid siege to the moldering fortress. By the tire horde is a pit fiend who has based his
time Piergeiron Paladinson’s soldiers and troops in that same castle. Lastly, they
Khelben Blackstaff’s magic had shattered learn that the dragon who serves this
the castle gate and annihilated the occu- fiend is doing so under duress; one of the
pants, the might of Dragonspear was bro- cornugons that heads the enemy has a
ken. A temple was established to ward magical hold over the reptile. If that hold
against further evil rising from the castle’s were broken, the dragon would certainly
cellars, where the gate to the planes was abandon the cause that he currently fights
rumored to exist. for or even turn upon his “master.”
So things went for many years. By the With the aid of a druid who lives nearby,
Time of Troubles, the temple and its cler- the heroes learn that the dragon must
gy had long since disappeared. Perhaps obey the cornugon Vesarius because of
the priests had grown lax in their task or the enchanted spear that the latter crafted
perhaps something darker happened-it from the former’s horn. The druid in-
seems of no consequence to this day for forms the heroes that the destruction of
no further reports of evil have come from the spear will free the dragon from its
Dragonspear. mental servitude. The spear can be de-
Still, one never knows. stroyed only by the acidic spittle of the

2
dragon itself. The spear is hidden at the The dragon, now able to do as it will,
heart of Dragonspear Castle, however, so turns on its former master. The day is won
recovering it will not be easy. and the heroes are . . . well, heroes.
The elf points out that the route he used
to escape the castle might allow the he-
roes access to it. He refuses to return there
Dungeon Master’s Notes
himself, but offers to start the PCs on their Hordes of Dragonspear is a high-level
way and then go and spread word of the adventure. It assumes that the heroes are
menace that looms. He will have all of the generally of 10th- to 12th-level and five or
allies await word of the heroes’ fate at the six in number. If this is not the case, the
Way Inn. He warns them to be quick, DM will want to alter some of the encount-
though, for men have not the patience of ers in this book to make it more appropri-
elves and will long to move quickly ate.
against the enemy. At several points in this adventure, the
The elf leads the PCs to a narrow cavern stage is set for a grand battle. For readers
that goes down into darkness. The PCs en- who play the BATTLESYSTEM™ minia-
ter and find that it provides access to an tures rules, complete game information is
underground river. This river flows south- provided on the opposing forces. For
ward but turns east briefly and passes di- those without the time or interest to re-
rectly under the castle. The elf is certain solve the battles in this manner, informa-
that the hordes don’t know of its existence tion is provided that allows the battles to
or his escape would not have been possi- be resolved with the mass combat system
ble. presented in DMGR2: The Castle Guide.
The PCs head down the river and soon Lastly, for people who don’t want to re-
reach the castle. They make their way into solve the battles at all, a brief synopsis of
the catacombs beneath the main tower, the probable outcome of the battle is pro-
fight some bad guys, and recover the vided.
spear. They escape via the river and re- The next few pages of this text detail the
turn to the Way Inn. armies that have been gathered around
Here they find that the dragon has at- Dragonspear Castle. First the hordes
tacked and destroyed the Inn. The army themselves are presented, and then the
has moved south, hoping to strike a fatal various forces allied against them.
blow to the enemy before the dragon re-
turns to finish them. The heroes must
hurry if they are to rejoin the allied army
and save it from destruction by the
Hordes of Dragonspear.
The heroes arrive as the big battle is in
progress. The dragon is clearly a foe too
powerful to be countered by the massed
forces opposing the hordes. Things look
dark indeed. The heroes join the battle
and bring the spear into a position where
the dragon can see it. With a roar, the
beast dives at the weapon and lets loose a
stream of acid at it. The spear is de-
stroyed, and the dragon is freed of its in-
fluence.

3
The HOrdeS

Despite their chaotic name, the Hordes brave for a member of this cowardly race.
of Dragonspear have a fairly stable mili- It is quite possible that he is mentally un-
tary structure. This is the direct result of stable and subject to delusions of gran-
the pit fiend Baazka who commands deur.
them. While the humanoids that he has
brought together would, on their own,
dissolve into a quarreling, bickering mass,
The Blood Guard
the fear that they have of Baazka and his The next unit in Baazka’s army is the
three cornugon lieutenants is enough to dangerous Blood Guard. This force is
keep the Hordes in line. composed of 300 orcs and 200 hobgob-
This humanoid horde is composed of lins. Although they are not nearly as nu-
three distinct armies, each of which is merous as the Marauders, the Blood
commanded by a cornugon. Among these Guard is the main force of the horde.
lieutenants there is a great deal of political Whenever there is an assault to be made
rivalry and competition. As a rule, Baazka or a village to be raided, it’s a good bet that
sends each of the units out on its own to the Blood Guard will get the assignment.
accomplish a specific mission. Thus, the The commander of this force, the cornu-
entire horde is seldom encountered at gon Vooka, is perhaps the most intelligent
once. of Baazka’s lieutenants. While he desires
to impress Baazka as much as either of the
The Marauders other cornugons, he is determined to do it
through his cunning and intelligence. He
Despite their ominous sounding name, is a master of military strategy and has
the Marauders are the least of Baazka’s Baazka’s ear on all matters of the cam-
units. It is commanded by Vrag, a cornu- paign.
gon who is far from happy with this as- The orcs are under the command of
signment. He recognizes that his force is Dahrgash. There is a great deal of infight-
looked down upon by all the others. In an ing and bickering among the orcs, more
effort to prove himself to Baazka, Vrag of- than in any other unit. Still, Dahrgash is
ten commits the Marauders to dangerous brutal and fierce enough to keep the orcs
and glorious assaults. So far, he has been in line.
lucky. The Marauders have actually The hobgoblins have taken to the mili-
proven themselves to be a competent mili- tary life quite quickly. They are by far the
tary unit. How much of this is skill, talent, most professional of Baazka’s force. There
or savagery and how much is fear of their is an unusual amount of cooperation
leader is open to speculation. within the hobgoblin ranks, due primarily
The Marauders are composed of two to the loyalty which Skarr, their chieftain,
forces. The first is an assembly of some commands.
500 kobolds. Fighting under the banner of
a particularly cruel and evil chieftain
named Wolg, these troops are the lowest
The Storm
in the horde’s hierarchy. If there is a sui- The final element of Baazka’s army is
cidal or distasteful assignment to be tak- the most dangerous. Known as the Storm,
en, it’s almost sure to fall to the kobolds. it is composed of 100 ogres, 100 bugbears,
The other element of the Marauders is a and the dreaded Maelestor Rex-an an-
band of 500 goblins under the command cient black dragon. The Storm’s com-
of Pruj. A chieftain of great renown mander, Vesarius, is a brutal, militaristic
among the goblin folk, Pruj is unusually beast. He demands strict obedience from

4
those in his command and is a harsh task- The last element of the Storm is by far
master. He looks upon both Vooka and the most terrible. Maelestor Rex, a 1,250
Vrag as worthless inferiors. His contempt year-old black dragon, acts under the di-
blinds him to the former’s keen mind and rect orders of Vesarius. He is contemptu-
the latter’s shrewd courage. ous of all the other elements of the horde
The Storm’s ogres are commanded by and serves in it only under duress.
Oorok. While he is not the smartest or Centuries ago, Maelestor Rex struck a
bravest of the ogres, he is the biggest and bargain with the fiendish Vesarius. In ex-
the meanest. In ogre society, that makes change for one of his horns, Vesarius gave
him the boss. He is brutal and cruel, some- the dragon knowledge of several unique
thing Vesarius finds admirable. magical spells. Vesarius took the horn and
The bugbears are under the hand of the fashioned it into a great, barbed spear. By
particularly cunning and evil Ghorashk. means of a powerful incantation that he
He attained his present position of power wove while creating the weapon, Vesarius
by the assassination of the two bugbears has forced the dragon to obey him. If the
above him when the army was formed. spear were destroyed or lost, it is certain
Ghorashk makes no secret of the fact that that Maelestor Rex would turn in venge-
he is more than willing to use under- ance upon the Hordes of Dragonspear and
handed tactics in both mass combat and its diabolical commanders.
individual melees.

Unit # AD AR Hits ML MV Range Remarks

Wolg’s Kobolds 500 4 8 ½ 9 6 na a b
Pruj’s Goblins 500 6 8 1 11 6 na a b c d
Dahrgash’s Orcs 300 6 8 1 11 9 na a c d e
Skarr’s Hobgoblins 200 8/6 7 1 11 9 7/14/21 e f
Ghorashk’s Bugbears 100 8 7 2 12 9 na h i
Oorok’s Ogres 100 10 7 2 12 9 na d e g h

a. -1 bonus to enemy AR in daylight f. Equipped with bows

b. Hate gnomes g. Hate halflings
c. -1 penalty to Morale in daylight h. Irregular only
d. Hate dwarves i. Chaotic
e. Hate elves

Individuals AD AR Hits CD MV Range Remarks

Wolg 4 8 1 9 6 na None
Pruj 6 8 1 11 6 na None
Dahrgash 6 8 1 11 9 na None
Skarr 8/6 7 1 11 9 7/14/21 None
Ghorashk 8 7 2 12 9 na None
Oorok 10 7 2 12 9 na None
Vrag See Inside Back Cover
Vooka See Inside Back Cover
Vesarius See Inside Back Cover
Baazka See Inside Back Cover
Maelstor Rex See Inside Back Cover

5
The Allies of Daggerford

Allied against the Hordes of Dragon- 3rd Company, High

spear is a rough confederation of troops, Guards of Waterdeep
some of them more capable than others. It
may be that some of the units listed below This is a unit of 100 regular military men
will be unavailable to the player charac- (medium infantry) who happened to be
ters, depending upon the course of the patrolling the regions south of Waterdeep
role-playing portions of this adventure. when the call for aid went forth. They are
a solid unit, with combat experience and
The Army of Daggerford decent equipment. The 3rd Company
ought to be able to hold its own in any bat-
While the dedication and devotion of tle with the Hordes of Dragonspear.
these troops are not to be doubted, their The commander of this unit is Frey
value as anything other than fodder is Silverblade. While she is a clever and cun-
subject to debate. The army has been ning warrior, she will follow the lead of a
formed from the militia, watch, and player character who seems more experi-
farmers of Daggerford and its environs. enced in the art of war.
While they are not well-trained or well-
equipped, they are fighting in defense of
their homes and are highly motivated.
Uhmbrick’s Ranger
The majority of this force is a unit of 300 This band of 50 mounted mercenaries is
peasants. For the most part, these are sim- swept up into the conflict when they are
ple folk who have banded together to attacked at the Way Inn. Although they
fight the enemy with whatever weapons will attempt to find someone to pay them
they might have at hand. for fighting the Hordes, they’re deter-
The second of the army’s three elements mined to have revenge for the men they
is composed of 200 former members of lost at the Way Inn and will carry on with-
various armed forces. Because the people out pay. The rangers are classed as medi-
in this unit have all had some actual mili- um cavalry.
tary experience, it seems probable that Uhmbrick’s troops are loyal to him, but
they will fare better than the larger force will also follow another with his blessing.
of peasant rabble. Still, few of these indi- If a suitable player character is in the
viduals have seen actual combat. group of heroes, Uhmbrick can be killed
The final element of the army is a group or wounded and the PC can take his place.
of 100 young men and women who have
not only received military training, but ac- Knights of Ilmater
tually served in combat. While their com-
bined experience might not be great, it is These 50 men are paladins who ride to-
enough to qualify them as light infantry. gether under the grey and red banner of
Unless the player characters come for- the god Ilmater. The Knights are a truly
ward to command the Army of Dagger- deadly force, being classed as ultra-heavy
ford, they will be led by the capable, but cavalry. The Knights believe that it is their
not outstanding, Dauravyn Redbeard. place to travel from battle to battle, surviv-
This former adventurer and current keep- ing without the comforts of home or the
er of the Way Inn will be primarily con- security of a steady base of operations.
cerned with keeping these simple folk They are always on the watch for a wor-
from being slaughtered in battle. thy cause to adopt.
The leader of these brave warriors is al-
most maniacal-Korr of Ilmater. He is
brave, reckless, and (some say) suicidal.

6
Misty Forest Elves Dwarves of Illefarn
When word of the peril reached the When the race of dwarves recently began
elves of the Misty Forest and Laughing to reclaim the ruins of Illefarn, they vowed
Hollow, they decided that their race must never to be driven from those halls again.
play some part in the coming clash. Thus, Thus, when the danger of Dragonspear pre-
100 of their number have left their seclud- sented itself, they were quick to take up
ed homelands to join the alliance against arms and join the allied forces. Like the
Dragonspear. This force is grouped into elves, the dwarvish forces are composed of
two units, each made up of 50 elves. The two units of 50 troops each. One group is a
first group is simply elven infantry, very band of stern dwarven infantry, a force not
capable but not greatly noteworthy. The to be taken lightly. The other is a team of 50
second element, however, is a team of 50 dwarven crossbowmen, a valuable addition
elvish longbowmen. to the allied forces.
The leader of the elves is Sylyndyrryl The dwarves are led by Cyrag Hammer-
Moonspinner a lovely young woman who bone, a tough and determined veteran
is so slender that she looks almost frail; who has faced the beasts of the High
she is far from it. She might allow a PC Moors before and seems more than will-
command of one element of her troops, ing to battle them again. Like Moonspin-
but only if that hero were an elf. ner, he might trust a PC with the
command of one unit, but only if that he-
ro were a dwarf.

Unit # AD AR Hits ML MV Range Remarks

Misty Forest Elves 50 8 7 1 13 12 na f g
Elvish Longbowmen 50 6/8 7 1 13 12 7/14/21 f g
Dwarves of Illefarn 50 6 7 1 12 6 na a b c d e
Dwarvish Crossbowmen 50 6 8 1 13 6 6/12/18 a b c d e
Daggerford Peasants 300 4 9 1 7 12 na h
Daggerford Militia 200 6 9 1 10 12 na h
Daggerford Infantry 100 6 8 1 11 12 na
3rd Company 100 6 7 1 11 12 na
Uhmbrick’s Rangers 50 8 7 2 12 18 na
Knights of Ilmater 50 12/8 5 4 15 12 na

a. Favor rough or rocky ground e. -2 AR vs. giants, ogres, & trolls

b. Hate goblins f. Favor woods
c. Hate orcs g. Chaotic
d. Hate hobgoblins h. Irregular only

Individuals AD AR Hits CD MV Remarks

Dauravyn Redbeard 10 4 2 8 9
Sylyndyrryl Moonspinner 8/8 5 2 16 12
Cyrag Hammerbone 10/6 5 2 12 9
Frey Silverblade 8 6 2 8 9
Uhmbrick of Cormyr 8/8 5 4 16 12
Korr of Ilmater 12 3 8 16 12

7
The Town of Daggerford

The town of Daggerford is located on that can be directed at an enemy is the 3rd
the northern banks of the Delimbiyr (or Company, High Guards of Waterdeep.
shining river). It is connected with Water- This band of 100 skilled warriors is sta-
deep some 80 miles to the north by means tioned in Daggerford, but spends most of
of the High Road. South of the village, on its time abroad, patrolling the country-
the opposite bank of the river, the Trade side. The 3rd Company is theoretically un-
Way runs south past the famous Way Inn der the command of the Duke of
and the dreaded Dragonspear Castle, con- Daggerford, but owes fealty to the Lords
necting at last with the cities of Baldur’s of Waterdeep itself (a fact known by all).
Gate, Elturel, and Scornubel on the banks The town of Daggerford is ruled by a
of the river Chionthar. Council of Guilds, much as the City of
Daggerford is a walled city with three Waterdeep is. This council holds a charter
major geographical divisions. The first ar- from the Duke of Daggerford (Pwyll
ea is the town itself, which fills the west- Greatshout) and is fairly free to do as it
ern half of the walls. The second region is pleases, although the duke has a fair bit of
somewhat higher than the town and is influence over their actions and decisions.
known as The Commons. This is a large
pasture intended primarily for the graz-
ing of animals during times of trouble.
People & Places of
The third area, located at the center of Interest
The Commons, is the castle of the Duke of There are several areas that might be
Daggerford. Much of the castle has been important to the adventurers during their
recently rebuilt by a family of dwarves, time in Daggerford. This listing is an ab-
making it somewhat more majestic and breviated version of the one presented in
splendid than might be expected of a adventure N5: Under Illefarn. The com-
town the size of Daggerford. panion map to this key is printed on the
inside of the front cover.
The People of
Daggerford 1. Barracks: This large structure houses
the militia (and the 3rd company when
The population of Daggerford itself is they are in town). It overlooks a large drill
just over 300 persons. However, a number field.
of scattered hamlets in the surrounding
countryside fall under the rule of Dagger- 2. Caravan Gate: This is the largest of the
ford’s government. The true population city’s three gates. It is normally kept
of the city is approximately 1,000 people, closed, except when a merchant caravan
the vast majority being human; a small or company of entertainers is parked out-
percentage are also halfling. Dwarves, side.
elves, and other demihuman races make
up only a minute fraction of this total. 3. Caravan Quarter: This place serves as a
When a crisis is at hand, the town has station for travelling merchants and trad-
two elements for defending itself. The ers who want to set up shop for a time in
first is the local militia. Because of the oc- Daggerford.
casional menace from the Lizard Marshes
4. Temple of Chauntea: This shrine to the
to the west and the High Moors to the east,
Great Mother is of great importance to all
this militia is fairly large and reasonably
the farmers and ranchers of the Dagger-
well-trained. Still, this group is only the
ford area. The keeper of the temple is
second line of defense. The main force

8
Maerovyna, an 8th-level priest (also a 10. Temple of Lathlander: This is the
priest in BATTLESYSTEM™ game terms). largest religious center in the town and is
directly supported by the Duke and his
5. Delfen’s Tower: Delfen is a wizard who family. The head of the temple is Liam
came to Daggerford several years ago. In Sunmist, a 9th-level priest (a priest in
exchange for a promise to aid the city in BATTLESYSTEM game terms).
times of crisis (and a large “donation” to
the treasury), he was given this tower as a 11. The Marketplace: This is an open air
home. Delfen is an 8th-level wizard (a mi- market that is filled with small shops of all
nor wizard in BATTLESYSTEM game kinds.
terms) who has grown to love his adopted
city and will join the militia in its defense. 12. The Money Quarter: This is the
wealthy part of Daggerford. All of the
6. The Castle: This is the home of the homes here are of excellent quality and
Duke of Daggerford and his family. It is of well-maintained.
fine construction and quite splendid to
look upon. 13. The River Gate: This is the 3rd of the
Duke Greatshout, a 5th-level warrior, is city’s three gates and provides access to
a retired adventurer, as is his sister the Delimbiyr and waterfront district. It is
Bronwyn, a 5th-level wizard. The duke normally open during the day and closed
qualifies as a knight hero in at night.
BATTLESYSTEM game terms and
Bronwyn is a minor wizard. Both will act 14. Rivermen’s Quarter: This area of
to defend the city if it falls under attack, town is dominated by those people who
but feel compelled to remain behind and make their living from the Delimbiyr-
protect it when the militia and 3rd compa- fisherman, dock workers, rivermen, and
ny ride forth. Another hero, Lord Llewel- the like.
lyn Long-Hand, serves as the head of the
15. Stables: This is the livery area for the
military and will march with it when it
town. The civilian populace, militia, and
leaves town. Llewellyn is an 8th-level war-
3rd Company all stable their horses here.
rior (knight hero) who is interested in
proving himself as he has eyes on the 16. Shrine of Tempus: This is a small tem-
Duke’s charter himself. ple dedicated to the worship of the Lord
of Battles. It is tended to by Baergon
7. Farmers’ Gate: This is the most com-
Bluesword, a 5th-level fighter-priest. In
monly used of the city’s three gates. It is
BATTLESYSTEM game terms, he is a
left open, unless there is some menace
priest.
about.
17. Shrine of Tymora: Located just off of
8. Farmers’ Quarter: This region of the
the drill field, this is a minor temple dedi-
city is inhabited by the farmers who work
cated to the worship of Lady Luck. The
the fields north of town. It is a crowded
keeper of the shrine is a 6th-level halfling
place, full of people and animals.
priest named Bando the Lame. Because he
9. Guildmasters’ Hall: This large building depends upon a crutch to get along, he
is the center of the town’s government has no place in a the battle against Dra-
and houses the headquarters of each of gonspear.
the city’s numerous guilds.

9
The Army of Daggerford

This adventure begins with the heroes many caravans raided and destroyed. In
arriving in Daggerford. The DM will need response, Duke Greatshout, ruler of Dag-
to arrange some reason for the party to gerford, has issued a call for all able-
travel near this town. The mission must be bodied men and women to join with the
such that the players are able to cast it militia and drive off these foul creatures
aside, either permanently or temporarily, before they pose a threat to Daggerford it-
to come to the aid of the people of Dagger- self. The militia of Daggerford has already
ford. Also, because this adventure revolves been reinforced by a company of infantry
around a growing menace in the area that patrols the area on behalf of the
around Dragonspear Castle, the PCs route Lords of Waterdeep, but anyone who can
of travel should not be such that it brings swing a sword or cast a spell is needed in
them through these contested regions. defense of the region.

No One Home Entering Daggerford

As the player characters draw close to When the heroes arrive at Daggerford,
the town of Daggerford, they will begin to they will find that the only way in is
pass through farm country. Here and through the Farmers’ Gate. A short line of
there, they will come across small farm people is moving slowly through the gate,
homes which have been abandoned and identifying themselves to the guards as
locked up. There are no signs of violence they enter the town. The heroes can join
and no evidence as to why the farms may the line and make their way into the city,
have been deserted. but they are asked to give their names as
In truth, these are the homes of able- they pass through the gate. If they ask
bodied folk who have answered the call to why, they’ll be told that the village is offi-
arms and made their way to Daggerford. cially under a state of siege and that the
Fearing that there may be dark times Duke and Council want a complete roster
ahead, they have taken their families with of everyone in town.
them to the protection of the walled city. Even a brief conversation with the
There is no foul play afoot here, but the guards will reveal to the PCs that their aid
DM may want to present these encounters is needed desperately. The Army of Dag-
with an air of mystery to them. gerford is short of trained troops, and he-
roes of their caliber will certainly be a
Nearing Daggerford great boon to the city. While the guards
are not in a position to offer any terms to
Things become more hectic as the party the PCs, they can refer them to Lord Lle-
approaches Daggerford. They will meet wellyn Long-Hand, the head of the Army
more refuges trying to escape from the re- of Daggerford.
gion before the storm of war erupts If the PCs are not interested in pursuing
across the countryside. The folks they a conversation, the guards will report
pass will gladly talk to heroes who claim their entrance into the city and Long-hand
to be headed south to join in the defense will send for them. In any event the PCs
of Daggerford and its environs. From will soon find themselves meeting with
these travellers, the PCs can learn some- Llewellyn.
thing of what has been going on.
Recently, they will discover, goblins and
kobolds have begun to mass along the
Lord Llewellyn Long-band
Trade Way south of The Way Inn. All trade The PCs will meet with Long-hand at his
south of the city has been disrupted and office in the Duke’s castle. The lord’s

10
chambers are austere, kept very tidy and fore. What he needs are heroes to lead the
with the air of a military man. Various dec- militia into battle. Men and women who
orative weapons hang on the walls, along will inspire the troops to greatness.
with banners and heraldry from Llewel- In exchange for their help, he will see to
lyn’s family. it that each of them is given a share in
Their host begins by offering refresh- whatever spoils the army might claim
ments. As these are provided by a serving from the enemy. As he obviously has no
girl, he starts his recruitment speech. He clear idea of what these might be, he will
begins with flowery praise, compliment- make no definite promise of a set reward.
ing the heroes on their obviously great Even if the battle goes poorly, the heroes
skills in combat, magic, and so forth. After are sure to be remembered and rewarded
several minutes of this and the exchange by the Duke of Daggerford, who is himself
of great stories, he gets to the point. a former adventurer.
He explains that the Army of Dagger- The DM should make it quite clear to the
ford has been assembled and is a unit to players that, without the help of their
be proud of. Although the troops may be characters, the army has a good chance of
of inferior quality, their morale is high being routed (at best) or crushed. If this
and their loyalty absolute. Despite this, isn’t enough to persuade them to help
the enemy is likely to be fierce. It could (and it ought to be, they’re supposed to be
well be that the nerve of his troops will heroes), the DM is free to resort to what-
break in combat, for they have never ever means he must in order to recruit
faced the horrors of a goblin charge be- them into the service of Daggerford.

11
Council of War

When the heroes have accepted the of- The Duke Responds
fer of employment, Lord Long-hand will
review the troops with them. He will intro- Once the battle with the barbazu is done,
duce them to each of the important NPCs the heroes will have time to turn their at-
mentioned in the description of Dagger- tentions to the fallen Long-hand. Unfortu-
ford (pages 8 & 9). nately, there is little that can be done for
him. The weapon that struck him down
was a specially prepared one. Arcane en-
Ambush chantments were woven upon it by Vrag to
As they tour the town, the group is at- make it something of a bane weapon.
tacked. Their first indication that some- When it struck down the Lord, it did great
thing is amiss comes when Long-hand harm to his life force as well as his body.
clutches at his chest and topples over While Llewellyn can be saved, with
dead. When he hits the ground, the cause prompt clerical attention, he will be coma-
of death becomes clear—a black-shafted tose for some time. In short, he is out of
spear now protrudes from his back. action for the duration of this adventure.
Whirling, the heroes will catch a Word of this tragedy will quickly reach
glimpse of a dark figure on top of a build- the Duke. Recognizing the peril of this sit-
ing they have just passed, Because the sun uation, he will send for the heroes. They
is almost directly behind the assassin, they will be contacted by a messenger and
will see only the silhouette of a twisted asked to travel to the Duke’s castle at once.
and horrible humanoid. With a blood- One assumes that they will not turn down
chilling howl, the beast, and two just like this invitation. If they are foolish enough
it, spring down from the building and at- to do so, a more forceful method will be
tack the PCs directly. employed to bring them before the Duke.
As soon as the creatures draw near, the They will meet with Greatshout in the
PCs may recognize them as barbazu (one Duke’s private chambers. He begins by
of the lesser baatezu that serve as the sol- thanking them for their efforts on behalf
diers for the fiends that rule the Nine of the town. Although he regrets that they
Hells). These barbazu have been sent to were unable to prevent the attack that so
Daggerford by the cornugon Vrag (leader grievously i n j u r e d L l e w e l l y n , h e i s
of the Marauders) to scout out the town pleased that they dealt with the fiends be-
and assassinate the leader of its military. fore they could wreak greater havoc.
The sight of Long-hand’s blood, however, Putting aside these preliminary matters,
has driven them into a berserk battle fren- Greatshout will move on to the business at
zy, and they have no purpose now but to hand. His army is now leaderless. His du-
kill. ties and obligations prevent him from
leading the force himself, and he is reluc-
Barbazu (3): AC 3, MV 15, HD 6 + 6, hp 40, tant to send his sister in his place. He of-
37, 32; # AT 3 or 1; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-8 or 2-12; fers the heroes a commission and a
SA Glaive, disease, battle frenzy, spells; SD chance to command the Army of Dagger-
+1 or better to hit; ML 12; AL LE; THAC0 ford. He will offer almost anything to en-
15; (refer to MC8). tice the heroes to aid him, for he
recognizes the danger that his subjects
The barbazu will fight until they are now face. Still, the DM should keep in
slain. They will show no mercy and never mind that this is not a very wealthy town
need to check morale. They are filled with and that it has spent a good deal of cash in
a wild bloodlust that nothing can break. getting ready for the upcoming battles.

12
Reviewing the Troops Call to Arms
Once the deal is done, Greatshout will The heroes will meet with the Duke in
turn the preparations for battle over to his private quarters. A winded and tat-
the heroes. At this point, they have com- tered looking messenger stands in the
mand of the 300 Daggerford peasants Duke’s company. He is introduced as Geof-
who have volunteered for service, the 200 fry, an apprentice to the keeper of the Way
members of the Daggerford militia, and Inn to the south. The Duke bids him tell
the 100 citizens with past military experi- his story to the PCs.
ence who make up the Daggerford infan- The young man’s story is short and
try. In addition, the 100 members of the alarming. Although he is quite shaken,
3rd Company of Guards will travel with having ridden at his fastest pace to reach
them and obey their orders. (The statistics town, he speaks fairly calmly and without
for all these units can be found on page 7.) wandering from the point. Early this
If the players wish to, they may assign morning, word came to his master that an
one of the characters to act as the leader army of goblins was moving north. Within
for each unit. A new commander can be a day, they would reach the Way Inn. He
assigned to the 3rd Company, although its was dispatched immediately to seek help.
current commander, Frey Silverblade, As soon as Geoffry finishes his tale, the
will remain as an assistant. Duke turns to his new commanders.
Shortly after the players have made “There is nothing else to say,” he says,
these decisions and become familiar with “you’ll head south at once. Redbeard is a
their units, the Duke calls for them again. good friend . Don’t fail him or this war
may be over before it has begun."

13
Battle at the Way Inn

Travelling to the Way Inn is hard work. outer wall is heavy and can take 20 points
Even though the Trade Way is a well- of damage. The door to the inn itself is far
maintained road, the pace that the heroes less stable; it will take only 10 points of
must set for their troops is very demand- damage before collapsing.
ing. Shortly before sunrise, they reach
their destination. There is barely enough Victory
time to set up watches and give the troops
For the Army of Daggerford, this is an
a break before the alarm is sounded. The
all or nothing fight. The enemy will show
enemy has been sighted.
no quarter, for the cruel general Vrag will
accept no surrender. He will be satisfied
Into Combat only with the complete and absolute de-
At this point in the adventure, those struction of the defenders.
Dungeon Masters who plan to use the Of course, this is a role-playing adven-
BATTLESYSTEM™ game rules to resolve ture and not a simple miniatures game.
large scale combats should set up the The heroes are meant to win this fight,
units for this fight. On the next page there perhaps even killing Vrag in the process.
is a map that shows the deployment areas There are a number of steps that can be
for the troops of both Daggerford and taken by the DM to ensure that the players
Dragonspear. emerge triumphant without appearing to
throw the fight.
The Army of Daggerford First, the players know that Redbeard
has sent out calls for help. If the battle is
The Army of Daggerford sets up first. going poorly, they can be informed that
All of the figures representing the forces they hear horns sounding in the distance,
of good must be set up in the marked area no doubt indicating the arrival of goblin
near the Way Inn. The players should and kobold reinforcements. Imagine their
have a little while to discuss defensive surprise when, after a round or two to
strategies before they deploy their units. build tension, the DM places a unit of hu-
man infantry (the mercenaries) on the
The HoRdeS Of Dragonspear map. These mercenaries have benefited
The DM, who is assumed to be running from Redbeard’s advice and hospitality
the Hordes of Dragonspear, places the Ma- many times in the past, making them only
rauders on the area shown in the diagram too happy to come to his aid now.
A second method by which the players
on page 15. The Marauders are being led
can win, even if the battle is going against
by Vrag, who makes the most of his horri-
ble presence to instill fear and terror in them, is by slaying Vrag. If the fiend is de-
stroyed, the DM is free to rule that all mo-
the hearts of the Daggerford troops and
rale breaks in the goblin and kobold
heroes.
ranks, causing the whole of The Maraud-
ers to scatter in panicked retreat.
The Way Inn
The Way Inn is assumed to have an out-
er wall composed of stone that is 5 feet
Alternate Resolutions
high. The courtyard measures 180 feet If the DM does not wish to use the
wide and 120 feet deep. Within that region BATTLESYSTEM game rules to resolve this
is a courtyard and, at the northern most battle, the quick resolution system de-
end, the inn itself. The actual building is scribed in DMGR2: The Castle Guide can
assumed to be a two-story stone structure easily take its place.
that is some 30 feet high. The gate in the When this system is used, the attacking

14
and defending sides are reduced to point the crucial elements of the conflict. In
pools. The value of the Army of Dagger- fact, those who use the Castle Guide rules
ford is 300 points for the peasants, 600 ought to consider doing this as well be-
points for the militia, and 400 points for cause of the added flavor it will give the
the infantry. The 3rd Company is com- battle.
posed of medium infantry worth 500 As the battle rages on around the Way
points, bringing the Army’s point total to Inn, Vrag will recognize the nature of his
1,800. If they are reinforced by the rang- enemies. He sees that the heroes are lead-
ers (50 medium cavalry), they gain an ex- ing these pathetic villagers to a victory
tra 2,000 points. T h e M a r a u d e r s a r e that they should not achieve. Thus, he
worth 1,000 points for the kobolds and vows to destroy them personally. By
1,500 points for the goblins, making them means of magic, he appears before one or
truly dangerous foes with a total strength two of the heroes and, after an appropri-
of 2,500 points. ate “I’m so evil you don’t have a chance”
This battle should be resolved with the speech, he attacks. The resolution of this
siege rules, with the Army of Daggerford melee will set the mood for the battle in
being treated as the defenders. Thus, general.
while the point totals for the defenders The DM should feel free to allow Vrag to
are far lower than the point totals for the gate in some additional forces if things
attackers, their better position gives them seem to be too easy for the heroes. Re-
a good chance of coming through this bat- member, Vrag is supposed to lose, but it’s
tle alive and triumphant. not supposed to be an easy victory for the
If the DM and players do not wish to re- Army of Daggerford. By the same token, if
solve the battle using either of the above the heroes are unusually powerful or
methods, they should feel free to role-play lucky, the DM may want to reinforce the
Marauders.

15
Into the Misty Forest

Once the battle has been fought, the he- Misty Forest and up into the High Moors
roes will have time to discuss recent beyond. He advises the heroes to be cau-
events with the locals in and around the tious in the woods, for there are many sav-
Way Inn. At this point, they will have a age beasts and wild elves living there. The
chance to meet Redbeard and get to know elves should prove no problem, as long as
him better. His amiable personality and their forest is respected and their people
store of both practical and entertaining unmolested. The animals and monsters,
knowledge makes him a fine companion. on the other hand, may be another matter
At this time, Uhmbrick’s Rangers will ar- altogether.
rive, if they have not done so already. It
will be clear by their attitudes that they
are a mercenary unit, but that they are
The TROllS
willing to join this battle out of indebted- The heroes come upon the edges of the
ness to their old friend Redbeard. Misty Forest fairly quickly after leaving
Uhmbrick is less likable than the keeper the Way Inn behind. At first, the wood
of the Way Inn, tending to be silent and seems friendly enough, but it quickly be-
withdrawn. He is, however, a masterful gins to grow thicker and more wild. If the
strategist and will offer advice when DM wishes to introduce a wilderness en-
asked for it. counter with some wild beast, this is the
Redbeard will be quick to offer his own time to do it.
opinion about the future. He feels certain The path which the PCs are taking will
that this was but the first wave of evil to lead them into an area inhabited by Dorig,
come from. the High Moors. It won’t be a foul, two-headed troll. Dorig has a few
long, he is certain, before an even greater common trolls who follow him and recog-
and more dangerous army pours out of nize him as their leader. The exact num-
that vile swamp. Further, Redbeard will ber of followers is up to the DM, being
say that he has no information about what based upon the relative strength of the
is going on in the High Moors, for it has party.
been months since anyone that he knows
of has gone to scout the area. Clearly he Dorig (1): AC 4; MV 12; HD 10; hp 65; #AT
thinks that should be the next step. “In or- 4; Dmg 1d4 +4/1d4 +4/1d12/1d12; SA Nil;
der to best our enemy,” he says, “we’ll have SD Regenerate; ML 16; AL CE; THAC0 11.
to know who that enemy is.” Uhmbrick
agrees. Trolls (?): AC 4; MV 12; HD 6 + 6; hp 40 ea;
#AT 3; Dmg 1d4 + 4/1d6 + 6; SA Nil; SD Re-
generate; ML 14; AL CE; THAC0 13.
The Scouting Party
Of course, the PCs are the heroes of this Something in the Mists
story and must, therefore, be the ones to
undertake the exploration of the High After the trolls have been dealt with, the
Moors. Since Uhmbrick’s men are cavalry, heroes can continue on their way. Before
and not trained for this sort of thing, he long, however, they will come to the dis-
refuses to send them. The 3rd Company tinct conclusion that something is track-
has people who might be able to scout, ing them. Every so often, they catch a
but none as powerful as the heroes. In the glimpse of something in the mists of the
end, the only logical choice is to send the forest around them. Here and there, they
PCs to undertake this investigation. will hear sounds that seem just a bit out of
Redbeard will be glad to help, sketching place.
out a rough map of the paths through the When the PCs have been alerted to the

16
presence of their unexpected companion, across the woods. In horror, the elves
they will no doubt take steps to discover looked up and saw the terrible shape of a
the nature of this stranger and confront it. dragon diving out of the sky at them. In
That shouldn’t be too difficult to do, for seconds, their ranks were broken. The
they are being tracked by a wild elf. Ordi- great beast spit jets of acid into the trees,
narily, it would be almost impossible to annihilating the last bastions of elven re-
detect the presence of such a creature in sistance. Almost as soon as it had come,
the woods where it makes its home, but the dragon left, circling and heading away
this one is sick, hungry, and terrified. to the south. In its wake it left a victorious
When the PCs attempt to encounter him, force of humanoids to hunt down and
he will panic and howl in terror. If any slaughter the survivors.
sort of fight breaks out or he is forced to Florfindyn was captured. He was about
flee, his weakened condition will prove to be killed when a creature more foul
too much for him and he will collapse. than any he had ever seen before stepped
If the PCs don’t attempt to capture or up. Although he did not know it at the
confront the elf, they will come across time, this was the vile Vesarius himself.
him by accident. The poor fellow, almost Recognizing the elf as a prince among his
lost to madness, is making his way people, the cornugon ordered him
through the treetops above the party spared. Beaten and wounded, Florfindyn
when a branch beneath him gives way. He was bound and carried off by an immense
falls heavily before them and then lies ogre.
still, overcome by fatigue and the impact. The next thing that he knew, Florfindyn
With a little effort (and some magic, no was in the dungeons of a twisted and evil
doubt) the PCs are able to revive the elf. castle. He knows now that this was Castle
Once he is fed, rested, and his wounds Dragonspear to the south. Here, he was
tended, he will be more himself. His name brought before the pit fiend Baazka and
is Florfindyn and he was born and raised questioned. He was tortured and beaten,
in these woods. Indeed, he’ll be more than but refused to betray the secrets of his kin
willing to tell the heroes his story. in the Laughing Hollow, the dwarves of Il-
lefarn, or the men of Daggerford. At last,
Florfindyn’s Tale the fiend ordered him destroyed.
Thinking him broken, the executioner
Several months ago, a horde of goblins let his guard down for a moment. Florfin-
and kobolds poured down into the forest dyn escaped, fleeing into the catacombs
from the High Moors. A great battle erupt- beneath the castle. At long last, he came to
ed, but the elves and druids of the woods an underground river. With a howling
drove the horrible creatures back. This pack of horrible creatures behind him, he
seemed to end the matter, for no sign of dove into the water and swam. Although
the beasts was seen for many weeks. Then his first instinct was to drift with the cur-
things got worse. rent, he knew that his enemies would ex-
This time, the goblins and kobolds re- pect that. Thus, he swam against the flow
turned in the company of a force of ogres of the river. Before long, he was able to
and bugbears. Again, the elves and druids leave the water and travel along its banks.
made ready to combat their hated foes. In time, he found his way back to the
The battle was joined, and it seemed as if surface and, indeed, at the edge of the
the inhabitants of the forest would win, al- Misty Forest. Since then, he has lived like a
though the battle might indeed be a long mindless beast in the wilds.
and costly one. Then, a great darkness fell

17
The Druid’s Council

When Florfindyn finishes his story, he dragon seemed to hold a great animosity
will collapse into unconsciousness. The for the creatures that it was forced to aid.
ordeal that he has been through would Since the attack, she has devoted her
have killed a lesser man, and the fact that time and magic to healing the forest and
he still draws breath is a tribute to his will- has had no time to delve further into the
power and determination. mystery. Thus, she has no idea as to the
Just as this happens, when all attention nature of the controlling spell or the enti-
is focused on the fallen elf, a soft female ty that is exercising it.
voice speaks from behind the party. “Per-
haps I can be of service.” Whirling about, Reigns of Darkness
the PCs will find themselves facing a
druid. Like Florfindyn, she makes her At this point, most players will want to
home in these woods and has suffered investigate the nature of this control.
greatly from the wrath of the dragon and There are two means of doing so: travel-
hordes of humanoids. She has been ling to the lair of the wyrm at the heart of
watching the party, but has not known the High Moors or using magic. Only the
what to make of them until their encount- latter method is practical at this time,
er with the elf prince. Now, she is con- however, for the time required to reach
vinced of their good intentions. the dragon’s lair and the danger involved
in the journey is prohibitive. Thus, magic
is the only alternative.
The Druid’s Account This adventure assumes that the heroes
The druid introduces herself as the will have access to spells like contact other
“keeper of these woods.” She claims no plane and divination. Depending upon the
name for herself, having long ago given way in which these spells are used, the ex-
up all ties to the artificial things of man- act information acquired may vary. In the
kind in favor of being one with the wilder- end, however, they will be able to learn
ness. All in all, she has very little interest quite a few things. The Keeper will lend
in anything that has to do with the outside her magical talents to the effort, filling in
world. The violence of this attack upon any gaps or holes that the PCs might leave
her forest, however, has left her no choice unexplored.
but to aid the PCs. As it stands now, her Maelestor Rex is an ancient and power-
careful nurturing can restore the poi- ful black dragon. Indeed, he seems far
soned and burned regions where the more intelligent than most of his breed
dragon struck. Another such attack, how- and has a great interest in magical spells
ever, and she fears that the Misty Forest and devices. Long ago, in an effort to learn
will become a ruined waste unfit for any more powerful wizardry, he sought out a
living creature. means to contact the forces of the outer
When the dragon attacked, she attempt- planes. He did manage to communicate
ed to communicate with it. She recog- with the cornugon Vesarius, who was im-
nized the beast as Maelestor Rex, a great pressed by the intelligence and resource-
and horrible wyrm that, so far as she fulness of the dragon.
knew, never travelled away from its lair in In exchange for the spells and knowl-
the center of the high moors. The keeper’s edge that the dragon wanted, Vesarius de-
magic revealed to her that the dragon was manded one of the dragon’s great horns.
not attacking out of spite, greed, or any The beast agreed and the deal was done.
similar motivation (oddly enough). In- As the years rolled by, the dragon all but
deed, Maelestor Rex seemed to have no in- forgot his encounter with the fiend.
terest in the battle at all and was acting Recently, however, Vesarius reappeared
under an outside influence. In fact, the to the dragon. He had crafted a long and

18
deadly magical spear from the horn of the that their next logical course of action is
black dragon. Into this object, he wove nu- an exploration of the castle itself. By all ac-
merous spells that allowed him (and him counts, however, a direct approach to the
alone) to command the dragon. Maelestor castle is certainly suicidal.
Rex must now obey Vesarius in every mat- There is, however, a way in. If the play-
ter and cannot turn against him. The drag- er’s don’t think of this, Florfindyn will
on desires nothing so much as to be mention it. The underground river which
released from its servitude and exact re- he used to escape could also provide a
venge upon the cornugon. Alas, the only means of entry into the castle. Although
way in which he can escape his curse is Florfindyn will not willingly travel this
through the destruction of the spear. way, he will direct the heroes to the river’s
Recognizing the fact that Maelestor Rex entrance. He marked the point at which
is crucial to the success of his armies in he reached the river with a rune on the
the Forgotten Realms, Baazka has ordered wall, so the heroes will be able to find it.
Vesarius to hide the weapon away in the Once they are on their way, he will trav-
deepest catacombs beneath Dragonspear el as quickly as he can to spread word of
Castle. Only by recovering the spear and the enemy and its nature. If the heroes
seeing it destroyed can the allies hope to make it back, they can all meet at the Way
defeat the hordes of Dragonspear. Inn and make plans for the final assault
on Castle Dragonspear.
Florfindyn’s Plan
At this point, the players have been pre-
sented with enough information to decide

19
The Roaring Deep

After the PCs have made whatever prep-

arations they like, Florfindyn will lead
Down River
them to a narrow cave in the eastern If the heroes make use of the mush-
reaches of the Misty Forest. The first hun- room caps or some other form of boat, the
dred feet or so of the passage is tight and trip down river will not be hard. If, how-
requires some effort to pass through. Be- ever, they elect to try swimming, they will
yond that point, however, it opens up into be in deadly peril.
a fairly comfortable cavern that snakes The primary danger involved in travel-
downward until it opens into a wide grot- ling the underground river is the cold.
to. The water temperature is just above freez-
The chamber is a low, conical structure ing, and swimming in it can quickly prove
without a natural source of illumination. fatal. Any character spending time in the
The lights of the party will glimmer and water without the use of some manner of
shine on the smooth rock of the cave magical protection (a resist cold spell or
walls, making even a single torch more the like) will lose 1d10 hit points per turn.
than bright enough to see the whole In addition, a saving throw versus paraly-
chamber. Half of the cavern is filled by a sis is required to avoid losing conscious-
racing torrent of clear, but bone-chilling ness. Unconscious characters stand an
water. The noise of this underground riv- excellent chance of drowning.
er sends vibrations through the walls and If boats are used to make the journey,
floor and makes conversation difficult. the cold is not a problem. Similarly, magi-
The water pours into the room from a cal means can overcome this threat.
narrow fissure to the north and exits it by
a somewhat larger opening to the south. The Journey
A small forest of giant mushrooms has
taken root here, growing well in the chilly, As the characters begin to move down
humid chamber. Their caps and stems are the river, they pass through an everchang-
brilliantly colored, some gleaming as if ing series of vistas. For the most part, the
covered in a thin layer of liquid. There is caves around them are narrow and
no sign of animal life in the cave. smooth, carved by the action of the river
over the course of several centuries. Eve-
ry so often, however, the spaces around
Thinking Caps the river open into wide chambers and
None of these mushrooms is animate or galleries. Some are quite spectacular glit-
dangerous. They are not toxic if eaten, but tering with crystal and mineral deposits,
taste like chlorine bleach. It would be al- others are bland regions of sand stone.
most impossible for an adventurer to sus- The pace of the river changes from a
tain himself by eating these foul things. rapid torrent to a sluggish crawl.
They do, however, serve a useful role in After the party has passed through sev-
the adventure. If removed carefully, the eral such areas, they will find themselves
caps of these mushrooms can be used as entering a darker and more dangerous
rafts for the journey down the river. Cut- domain: the regions around Dragonspear
ting down a mushroom and making it Castle. Here, the foul influences of the
ready for use in this manner takes about gate to the dreaded outer planes have re-
two hours. During this time, the DM may leased a steady taint of evil magic. Over
want to toss in an encounter with some the centuries, this dark contamination has
myconids or similar fungus-like crea- imbued the very stones with its sinister
tures, but this is not required. emanations.

20
 the water if they fail their rolls.
The Hermit As suddenly as all this happens, the he-
At one point in the underground pas- roes will be attacked. This is the lair of Sal-
sage, the river takes a slow turn and then lissi, an evil and very hungry morkoth.
begins to descend at a slight angle. The in-
cline is just sharp enough to set up a fair Morkoth (1): AC 3, MV Sw18, HD 7, hp 45;
current, causing the boats of the PCs to # AT 1; Dmg 1-10; SA hypnosis; SD spell re-
pick up a good deal of speed. This hap- flection; ML 14; AL CE; THAC0 13.
pens gradually and will not be noticed un-
less a player happens to be keeping an eye If Sallissi is defeated, for he will make no
on such things. peace with his prey, the party may find
Suddenly, the party’s boats fetch up some treasure by searching his lair. The
against a line that runs just below the sur- treasure, however, is found scattered on
face of the water. A quick examination will the river bed and will require diving or
show that this line is the top part of a fishing similar actions to recover it. Obviously,
net that has been spread across the river. such actions are difficult because of the
The speed of their travel makes this stop a chilling water and darkness of the cavern.
sudden one, so that all aboard the boats Each successful dive will recover 5% of
must make a Dexterity check or be stunned the beast’s horde. The total treasure con-
for one round. Characters who were stand- sists of 14,000 gold coins and 2,000 plati-
ing or were in some otherwise vulnerable num coins. Thus, each dive will allow a
position will find themselves pitched into hero to recover 700 gp and 100 pp.

21
Under the Castle

After the heroes have dealt with the cannot betray him and will fight to the
morkoth, they can complete their journey death in service of their master. Ordinari-
in relative peace. Still, the looming evil of ly, the pit fiend would be instantly aware
Dragonspear Castle hangs heavy in the air of the heroes’ presence in the labyrinth.
and the characters will find it harder and However, his attention is now focused on
harder to throw off feelings of despair his armies and he is too distracted to sense
and lethargy. them.

Florfindyn’s Mark The Heart of the Maze

Several hours after the PCs leave behind At the center of the labyrinth is a great
the lair of the morkoth, they will come in- cubical chamber some 75 feet across. This
to a wide gallery of gleaming stalactites immense room has been cut from the
and arched ceilings. Dozens of holes mark rock by magical forces and polished until
possible exits from this area, one of which its coal-black walls gleam brightly at the
is marked with the glyph that Florfindyn touch of any light source.
left behind him in his flight from Dragon- At the center of this room, floating 35
spear. feet above the floor, is a sphere of abso-
If the PCs attempt to explore any of the lute blackness. Within this magical co-
other tunnels, they will wander aimlessly, coon, the Dragonspear floats in timeless
be attacked by horrible monsters of the suspension. This barrier can only be
DM’s choice, and, if they survive, make punctured by powerful magic or re-
their way back to this same chamber after sourceful thinking.
2d6 hours have passed. The area of darkness is a minor fold in
the fabric of space. Any physical object,
The Labyrinth living or inanimate, that strikes the black-
ness will simply appear on the other side
Florfindyn’s path through the twisting of it without passing through it. In es-
tunnels beneath Dragonspear was a fortu- sence, the universe is wrapped around
nate one. Not only did it bring him safely the spear and it cannot be affected until
out of the evil clutches of Baazka and his the barrier is broken.
hordes, but it also revealed to him the hid- Dropping the shield requires some man-
ing place of the Dragonspear itself. Unfor- ner of space-folding spell similar to the
tunately, this artifact was hidden at the one that created the darkness. Any man-
center of a great twisting maze, designed ner of spell like dimension door or plane
by Vesarius to keep his treasure safe from shift that causes the fabric of space to be
the agents of Maelestor Rex. altered can be used. The chance that any
The map on the facing page shows the given spell will succeed is 10% per spell
path which brought Florfindyn through level. Thus, a 4th-level dimension door
this subterranean maze. Because he was used to disrupt the field has a 40% chance
on the run from the minions of Baazka, of working. Numerous spells may have to
the elf had no time to mark his path. The be used before the barrier falls. In addi-
heroes will have to explore the place on tion, psionic powers might prove effective
their own, facing its dangers and perils in reaching the Dragonspear. The chance
anew. that an appropriate psionic power will
As the heroes move through the maze, succeed in disrupting the spell is 5% per
they will be forced to confront many terri- level of the psionicist.
ble monsters. These creatures are all, for
one reason or another, in the service of
Baazka. His dark power is such that they

22
 Once the daemon has been defeated,
The Guardian the heroes can claim the Dragonspear. Of
Because he expects Maelestor Rex to course, this assumes that they have some
send agents in to claim the spear, Vesarius means of reaching it, as it still hovers
has stationed a greater guardian daemon some 35 feet off the floor.
here to protect his treasure. This creature With the weapon in hand, the heroes
is contained within the sphere of black- will have to retrace their steps through
ness and will attack the heroes as soon as the maze. The whole while, of course,
that spell is interrupted. they will run the risk of fighting wander-
ing monsters. If they use the Dragonspear
Greater Guardian Daemon (1): AC -1, in combat, they will find that it has all the
MV 9,Fl 9(D), HD 10, hp 70; # AT 3; Dmg 1- powers of a javelin of piercing, scroll of
10/1-12/1-12; SA breath fire, suggestion; protection from acid, and sword of
SD +2 or better to hit, immune to charm, wounding.
hold, sleep, polymorph, and fear spells,
cannot be harmed by acid or electricity;
MI 18 AL NE: THAC0 11

23
Return to the Inn

Once the heroes return to the river and a long plume of black smoke curling up
begin to make their way upriver, they may into the sky. They can find no trace of the
or may not be pursued by the minions of druid that they left behind in these woods
Dragonspear. and no sign of Florfindyn (although that is
certainly to be expected).
The Getaway
If the player characters have been badly
Picking up the Pieces
hurt by their battles in the labyrinth be- When the characters return to the Way
neath the castle, then the DM will proba- Inn, they will find that their army is gone.
bly want to let them make the return trip Indeed, so is the inn. The area is dotted
fairly easily. In this case, it is a time for with pools of acid and the bodies of sev-
resting and recovery. In order to keep the eral dozen soldiers. Florfindyn is here,
escape from being too easy, however, the having been left behind to tell the heroes
DM might drop in a minor hazard— what happened.
something like a big cave-in or the ram- His story is simple enough. He carried
paging mate of the morkoth they fought their message to the armies gathered here
earlier. and saw to it that the nature of the threat
If the heroes have managed to reach the was fully understood. He’ll mention that
river in good shape and have not yet faced the army they left behind has been rein-
a truly challenging foe in the labyrinth, forced by several other groups, including
then they ought to be faced with a party of his kin from the Laughing Hollow and the
barbazu who have been sent to recover dwarves of Illefarn.
the Dragonspear and prevent their es- When the commanders of the army
cape. The DM should base the number of heard his news, they recognized their per-
these fiends on the strength of the party. il immediately. They headed south at
once, determined to attack the enemy be-
Barbazu (?): AC 3, MV 15, HD 6 + 6, hp 30 fore it could be further reinforced by
ea.; # AT 3 or 1; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-8 or 2-12; SA creatures drawn from the Nine Hells. Flor-
Glaive, disease, battle frenzy, spells; SD +1 findyn and a company of men were left
or better to hit; ML 12; AL LE; THAC0 15. behind to escort the heroes to the front
when they returned.
In either case, the current of the river is Not long after the army left, the dragon
fast enough (or the walk down its banks arrived. He swept back and forth above
rough enough) to make it an extremely tir- the Inn, spitting acid and ripping apart
ing journey. When the heroes have men with his teeth and talons. Florfindyn
reached the fissure that opens up in the was himself injured in one of the first
Misty Forest, they will be in need of rest passes made by the beast, causing him to
before they can continue. be left for dead when the dragon returned
to its evil master in the south.
The Misty Forest Of course, this leaves the heroes little
choice but to race toward Dragonspear as
When the heroes have recovered their fast as they can manage. With any luck,
strength, they’ll certainly want to make they won’t be too late to join the battle and
haste. As they move through the Misty save their allies from death and destruc-
Forest, it will become clear to them that tion at the hands of Baazka and his min-
something is amiss. From far ahead, ions.
roughly in the direction of the Way Inn, is

24
25
Against the Hordes

The heroes reach Dragonspear Castle Rex’s own acidic spittle. It might also be
shortly after battle has been joined. Once possible to turn the tide of battle by killing
again, this situation is an opportunity for Vesarius. Without his influence, Maelestor
the players to take charge of the combat Rex is free to act as he will. In either case,
and use the BATTLESYSTEM™ game rules he’ll instantly turn on the Hordes of Dra-
to resolve the fight. gonspear. With the addition of the Dragon
to their forces, the Allies ought to be able
The Battle at Dragonspear to obliterate their enemies.
As with the first battle, the DM is remind-
On the next page is a map that shows the ed that this is all part of a role-playing ad-
battleground. Dungeon Masters who will venture. Victory ought to be attainable for
be using the BATTLESYSTEM game rules the heroes, but not easily so. The DM should
to resolve this fight should set up an area hold back the arrival of the PCs until things
similar to that shown in the diagram. The look hopeless. The longer he waits, the
Dragonspear figures are set up first, then more dramatic their victory will be. Pacing
the Allied forces. is the key to this scene.

The Allies
Alternate Resolutions
At this point, the Army of Daggerford
If the DM doesn’t wish to use the
has been reinforced so that all of the units
BATTLESYSTEM game rules, the short-
listed on page 7 are available. The player
hand method described in DMGR2: The
characters are not present at the start of
Castle Guide can be used. The armies at
the battle.
the battle have the following point values
when this system is used:
The Hordes of Dragonspear
By the same token, the entire army of The Hordes of Dragonspear
Baazka is here. All of the units described
Wolg’s Kobolds 1,000
on page 5 are available. Any units lost in
Pruj’s Goblins 1,500
the Battle at the Way Inn have been re-
Dahrgash’s Orcs 1,500
placed. Maelestor Rex begins with his
Skarr’s Hobgoblins 1,000
master, but will be free to move away
Ghorashk’s Bugbears 1,300
from him as soon as the battle begins.
Oorok’s Ogres 1,300
Total 7,600
Victory
This is a battle to the death. Based on the The Allies of Daggerford
strict force count, the good guys don’t
Daggerford Peasants 300
have a very good chance.
Daggerford Militia 600
Daggerford Infantry 400
Turning the Tide 3rd Company 500
The only way that the allies will win the Uhmbrick’s Rangers 1,000
battle is to turn Maelestor Rex against his Knights of Ilmater 2,000
companions. Since he cannot do this as Misty Forest Elves 350
long as the Dragonspear exists, one possi- Elvish Longbowmen 650
ble way to accomplish this feat is to de- Dwarves of Illefarn 250
stroy the spear. The only thing that can Dwarvish Crossbowmen 500
destroy this magical artifact is Maelestor Total 6,550

26
Additional Units back cover. In Castle Guide terms, Maeles-
tor is worth 600 points, Baazka is worth
The point values above reflect only the 400, and each of the cornugons is worth
armies themselves and not their leaders. 200. The DM will have to determine point
For the purposes of simplicity, it is as- values for the player characters based
sumed that the leaders of the Allies and upon the examples presented in the
the masters of the Horde roughly balance BATTLESYSTEM game rules.
out. If the DM wishes to add the Horde
unit commanders to the scenario, they
can be considered as simply another fig-
Heroes to the Rescue
ure of the same type as the unit. Thus, When the heroes arrive with the Dra-
Wolg would be as dangerous as 10 of his gonspear, they will need to present it to
kobold followers. Maelestor Rex. Actually, this isn’t too hard
The exceptions to this are Maelestor Rex as they need only get it within 150 yards
and the fiends from the Outer Planes. As (15 inches) of the dragon. As soon as this is
an ancient dragon, Maelestor Rex is done, Maelestor roars with delight and
roughly the equivalent of a small nuclear dives at the hero holding the weapon. On
weapon when unleashed on the battle- the next round he will use his breath
field. The fiends, Baazka and his lieuten- weapon to destroy the spear. As soon as
ants, are not to be discounted either. The the weapon or Vesarius is destroyed, the
BATTLESYSTEM™ game stats of these dragon will turn on the hordes and, quite
characters are printed on the inside of the probably, lead the allies on to victory.

27
Aftermath

Of course, the heroes are assumed to ford. Whatever the case, he is not an im-
emerge triumphant from the strife of the mediate danger and cannot be counted on
great battle. If things are going poorly for as an ally.
them, the DM can introduce any number
of last minute rescues. The most probable Sequel Possibilities
would be an elite group of cavalry from
Waterdeep that arrives just in the nick of Once the last battle is fought, the heroes
time. Similarly, the DM might just “fudge” may want to push on into Dragonspear
a few morale rolls for the Hordes or Castle and close the gate which still oper-
strengthen the attack of Maelestor Rex ates at its heart. This is certainly a noble
when he changes sides. Whatever the me- venture and one that will have the sup-
chanical fix is, the players ought to see port of everyone in the area.
their heroes taken to within an inch of ab- Such a quest will be fraught with almost
solute defeat and destruction before the incomprehensible dangers. The DM
last-minute rally that saves the day. should be advised that the dungeons be-
neath Dragonspear Castle are huge,
sprawling affairs. The labyrinth present-
Wrapping It Up ed in this adventure is but a tiny fragment
When the battle is over, and all is said of the whole created by Vesarius to pro-
and done, the player characters will cer- tect the Dragonspear.
tainly be heroes. They will be able to re- Dungeon Masters who wish to allow
quest almost anything that it is within the their players to explore these horrible re-
power of Daggerford and its allies to cesses might consider using the maps in
grant. They will also have earned the fa- such products as Ruins of Undermoun-
vor the elves who live in Laughing Hollow tain or Castle Greyhawk as the basis of the
and their kin who will be returning to the complete catacomb structure.
Misty Forest. Likewise, they will have
proven their worth to the dwarves of Ille-
farn. They might also be able to earn the
trust and respect of Uhmbrick’s Rangers
and the Knights of Ilmater, two very valu-
able potential allies.
Of course, they’ve also made a lot of
powerful enemies. The fiends that they
defeated, or perhaps even destroyed, are
sure to be avenged by their peers in the
Nine Hells. After all, letting mere mortals
show up these powerful creatures is bad
for business.
For his part, Maelestor Rex has no great
animosity for nor sense of indebtedness
to the heroes. As far as he is concerned,
the fact the he did his part to crush the
Hordes of Dragonspear repays his debt to
humanity. He will return to his home in
the heart of the High Moors and, perhaps,
assemble his own army of humanoids to
someday challenge the men of Dagger-

28
Baatezu, Greater—Amnizu FRQ2

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: The Nine Hells

FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional (15-16)
TREASURE: V, Y
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil

NO. APPEARING: 1-2

ARMOR CLASS:
MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 15 (C)
HIT DICE: 9
THAC0: 11 (See below)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy channel, forget
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +2 or better weapons to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%
SIZE: M (4’ tall)
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: 32,500

The amnizu dwell primarily on Stygia, the fifth plane of the Nine
Hells. They are often found on the upper layers of the Nine Hells,
however, there to accomplish some unearthly mission.
The amnizu are rather gruesome and unseemly. They are short
(about 4 feet in height) with elongated, bald heads. They have ™ & ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
stubby legs and arms and large, leathery wings protruding from Habitat/Society: The amnizu are greater baatezu, and as such en-
their backs. Amnizu have pug noses and large eyes. Their snarl- joy a nobility of sorts. Although not of the same station as the
ing mouths are filled with jagged, razor-sharp teeth. mighty pit fiends, the amnizu are part of the ruling class of the
Amnizu use telepathic communication. Nine Hells.
Amnizu are extremely hateful of outsiders to the Nine Hells
Combat: The amnizu are greater baatezu and as such, prefer not and even of those creatures native to that plane. They will follow
to enter combat, but rather to leave that sort of thing to under- orders not so much because of their nature, but because of their
lings. But if pressed into battle, the amnizu will prove able foes. desire to advance and their fear of the pit fiends. It is a commonly
Their touch alone is enough to cause 2-8 points of damage to any known fact that the higher one advances in the Nine Hells, the
creature. Because this channeling of harmful energy precludes ar- more closely one is observed by the Dark Eight. Given the oppor-
mor, the amnizu need only attack versus armor class 10 to cause tunity, however, amnizu will order their minions to attack any-
damage. Any magical pluses of armor, shield, or protective de- thing that enters the domain that is under the control of the Dark
vice such as a ring of protection, will lower the “adjusted” armor Eight. It is possible that an amnizu would even attack a pit fiend
class of the defender. Other magical items which give a base ar- given sufficient reason and if it thought it could do so without
mor class are unaffected. For example, if an amnizu were attack- being suspected.
ing a foe wearing plate mail, it would only need to roll versus The amnizu serve many purposes. First and foremost, they are
armor class 10 to hit. However, if the amnizu were attacking the guardians of the river Styx. The mighty river enters the Nine
someone with chain mail +1 and bracers of defense, AC 4, it Hells through Stygia as well as Avernus. This is rightly seen as a
would need to attack versus armor class 3. weak point of defense for the Nine Hells. The amnizu are entrust-
Because of the amnizu’s close ties to the river Styx, their at- ed with the important task of keeping foolish individuals out of
tacks also will have the affect of an extremely powerful forget the Nine Hells. Second, they are generals. A single amnizu will
spell, causing its opponent to forget one whole day’s memory un- typically command a great army of thousands of abishai and eri-
less he saves vs. spells. nyes. To their own perverse ends as well as the protection of Sty-
In addition to those available to all baatezu, an amnizu can use gia, the amnizu deploy their massive armies.
the following spell-like abilities, one per round, at will:
Ecology: The amnizu are given the important task of bringing
• fireball, 3 times per day
new souls to the Nine Hells, and thus they are given their power
• imprisonment, 1 time per day
of imprisonment. Mortal men and women traveling to the Nine
A holy word is required to drive an amnizu back to its own Hells from the Prime Material plane for the purpose of combat-
plane. ing evil are generally fodder for the amnizu.

Amnizu can attempt to gate in the following: 2-20 abishai

(50% chance, once per day) or 1-8 erinyes (30% chance, once per
day).
Baatezu, Greater—Cornugon FRQ2

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: The Nine Hells

FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional (15-16)
TREASURE: D, S
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil

NO. APPEARING: 1-4

ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVEMENT: 9, Fl 18 (C)
HIT DICE: 10
THAC0: 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 4 or 1 + weapon
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4/2-5/1-3 or 1-3 + weapon +6
(strength bonus)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Fear, wounding, stun
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration, +2 or better weapons
to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50 %
SIZE: L (9’ tall)
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: 36,500

Cornugons are very powerful amongst the greater baatezu. It is

their lot to find service in the elite defense forces of the Nine
Hells. In appearance they are frightening enough to fulfill that ™ & ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
role. Fully 9 feet tall, these creatures are a only vaguely human- or wand or flee in terror for 1-6 melee rounds. Cornugons also
oid, covered with grotesque scales. Their huge wings and snak- regenerate 2 hit points per melee round.
ing, prehensile tail add to their frightening demeanor. In combat,
they favor a large barbed whip, but often carry other, more grue- Habitat/Society: Cornugons are the elite fighting force in the
some weapons. Nine Hells. They are often formed into terrifying armies up to
Cornugons communicate telepathically. 2,000 strong! Only the mighty pit fiends may lead these hideous
fighting forces into battle. The cornugons are prized personal
Combat: Cornugons are fearless fighters, rarely retreating from guardians. As such, all pit fiends and gelugons try to obtain one
combat even in the face of overwhelming odds. They have 18/00 or more cornugons as personal retainers. The Dark Eight have
strength ( +6 damage adjustment). The cornugon will always at- 106 cornugons as retinue.
tack with its tail, lashing out for 1-3 points of damage, creating a The cornugon armies are usually formed only in the lower few
wound that will continue to bleed for 1 hit point of damage per layers of the Nine Hells. In the upper layers, individuals serve as
round until treated. In addition, they will either attack with generals to vast armies of lesser baatezu. This duty is the most
claws and bite or with a weapon. Their large, barbed whip deals desirable (and most subject to rapid advancement) second only
out 1-6 points of damage on a successful hit and the victim must to guardian duty among the Dark Eight.
make a saving throw vs. paralyzation, or be stunned for 1-4 me-
lee rounds. Even unarmed, the beast is capable devastating at- Ecology: The cornugons are greater baatezu, and as such enjoy a
tacks. It can attack with two claw attacks for 1-4 points of certain amount of prestige across the Nine Hells. Of all the baate-
damage per hit and a bite for 2-5 points of damage per hit (plus its zu, the cornugons have the most rapid advancement. With sev-
tail attack). eral successful campaigns to their credit, more heroic cornugons
In addition to those available to all baatezu, cornugons can use will receive promotions to the upper layers of the Nine Hells
any one of the following spell-like powers at will, once per where they command vast, gruesome legions of baatezu. From
round, at will: there, great action leads to promotion to gelugon, the ruthless
baatezu inhabitants of the frigid layer of Caina. Although power-
• detect magic ful and cunning, the cornugons are the baatezu least likely to dis-
• ESP play treachery amongst their ranks, due most likely to their
• lightning bolt, 3 times per day militaristic nature. Their loyalty makes them something of an un-
• produce flame usual asset in the Nine Hells. It is said that the 106 cornugons that
• pyrotechnics guard the Dark Eight are completely loyal and would give their
• wall of fire, 1 time per day lives in defense of the council, behavior that is nearly unheard of
They can also attempt to gate in the following: 2-12 barbazu in the Nine Hells. Whether this is due to genuine loyalty or fear of
(50% chance, once per day), 2-16 abishai (35% chance, once per the almost limitless power of the pit fiends is unknown. What is
day) or 1-3 additional cornugons (20% chance, once per day). known, however, is that never in the history of the Dark Eight
All cornugons radiate a fear aura in a 5 foot radius. Anyone has a cornugon guardian displayed traitorous behavior.
entering the fear radius must make a saving throw vs. rod, staff,
Baatezu, Greater-Pit Fiend FRQ2

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: The Nine Hells

FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Genius (17-18)
TREASURE: G, W
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil

NO. APPEARING: 1-4

ARMOR CLASS: - 5
MOVEMENT: 15, Fl 24 (C)
HIT DICE: 13
THAC0: 7
NO. OF ATTACKS: 6
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4/1-6/1-6/2-12/2-8 or weapon
+6 (strength bonus)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Fear, poison, tail constriction
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration, +3 or better weapons
to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50 %
SIZE: L (12’ tall)
MORALE: Fearless (19-20)
XP VALUE: 57,500

The most terrible baatezu of the Nine Hells, pit fiends appear to
be giant, winged humanoids, very gargoylish in appearance.
™ & ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Their huge wings can wrap around their body in defense. Their
fangs are large and dripping with vile, green liquid. Their bodies They can, once per year, cast a wish spell. They may always
are red and scaly, often emitting flames when they are angered or gate gate in two lesser baatezu, or one greater baatezu with a
excited. 100% chance of success, performing this action once per round.
In the rare instances they choose to communicate, they do so Once per day, a pit fiend can use a symbol of pain— the victim
using telepathy. must save vs. rod, staff or wand or suffer a -4 penalty on attack
dice and a -2 penalty to dexterity for 2-20 rounds.
Combat: No baatezu is more terrifying in combat than a mighty They regenerate 2 hit points per round. Pit fiends also radiate a
pit fiend. In physical combat, the pit fiend is capable of dealing fear aura in a 20 foot radius (save versus rod, staff, or wand at a
out tremendous punishment, using its incredible 18/00 strength -3 penalty or flee in panic for 1-10 rounds).
(+6 damage adjustment). They can attack six times in a single
round, dividing its attacks against up to six different opponents. Habitat/Society: Pit fiends are the lords of the Nine Hells. They
They can attack with two hard, scaly wing buffets for 1-4 points are the baatezu with the greatest power and station. Pit fiends are
of damage per hit. Their powerful claws do 1-6 points of damage found throughout the various layers of the Nine Hells, but are
per successful attack. The bite of a pit fiend is dreadful indeed, very rare on the upper layers. They also are not fond of the frigid
causing any creature bitten to take 2-12 points of damage and coldness of Caina, the eighth layer. Pit fiends are very rare on
receive a lethal dose of poison. A saving throw vs. poison is re- Avernus, Dis, Minauros, and Caina. They are rare on Phle-
quired or the victim will die in 1-4 rounds. The bite also is 100% gethos, Stygia, Malbolge, and Maladomini. In the fearful realm
likely to infect the victim with a disease whether he saves against of Nessus, however, the dreaded pit fiends are common.
the poison or not. Wherever they are found, these mighty lords hold a position of
Pit fiends can also attack with their tail every round, inflicting great authority and power. They sometimes will command vast
2-8 points of damage per hit. The tail can then hold and constrict legions consisting of dozens of complete armies, leading the hate-
the victim for a like amount of damage per round until the victim ful horde into battle against the Tanar’ri. These huge forces are
makes a successful strength check to break free. Pit fiends can terrifying to behold, and any non-native of the lower planes of
also carry jagged-toothed clubs which inflict 7-12 points of dam- less than 10 hit dice who sees them will flee in panic for 1-3 days.
age per hit (this replaces one claw attack). Those of 10 hit dice and greater must make a saving throw vs.
Once per round a pit fiend can use one of the following spell- rod, staff, or wand or flee in panic for 1-12 turns.
like powers, plus those available to all baatezu: It is rumored that pit fiends are not the most powerful beings in
the Nine Hells, but rather themselves servants of some greater
• detect magic
power. If, in fact, there are some greater beings in the Nine Hells,
• detect invisibility
certainly they are powerful enough to hide their presence from
• fireball
mere mortal sages.
• hold person
• improved invisibility
Ecology: Pit fiends are spawned from the powerful gelugons of
• polymorph self
the Nine Hells’ eighth layer. When those icy fiends are found
• produce flame
worthy they are cast into the Pit of Flame for 1,001 days after
• pyrotechnics
which they emerge as a pit fiend (see Gelugon for more detail).
• wall of fire
Baatezu, Lesser-Barbazu FRQ2

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: The Nine Hells

FREQUENCY: Common
ORGANIZATION: Troupe
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil

NO. APPEARING: 20-100

ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVEMENT: 15
HIT DICE: 6+6
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 or 1 (weapon)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2/1-2/1-8 or 2-12 (weapon)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Glaive, disease, battle frenzy
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better weapons to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30 %
SIZE: M (6’ tall)
MORALE: Steady (11-12)
XP VALUE: 23,500

The barbazu is the most vile and effective soldier in the Nine
Hells. They are employed in large numbers as shock elite troops.
A barbazu is a foul, humanoid creature with a long tail,
clawed hands and feet, pointed ears, and a snaky, disgusting
beard growing out of its face. Its skin is moist and scaly like a ™ & ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
reptile. They are most often seen carrying a cruel, saw-toothed The barbazu can also attempt to gate in 2-12 abishai (50%
glaive, capable of great damage. chance, once per day) or 1-6 additional barbazu (35% chance,
Though barbazu rarely find a need to communicate, they can once per day).
do so using telepathy. All barbazu are subject to a battle frenzy. When in the heat of
combat, a group of barbazu is 10% likely per melee round to go
Combat: The barbazu are the most violent of the baatezu, taking berserk. While berserk, the barbazu need not make morale
advantage of any excuse to attack. This makes them unpopular checks. They will attack twice as many times per round at +2 on
amongst baatezu-kind and subject to frequent, harsh disciplinary attack rolls and damage dice. Their armor class, however, will
measures. These same traits, however, make them excellent increase by 3. The roll is cumulative per melee round, so that it
shock troops. They are deployed in large armies sometimes num- they are 20% likely to go berserk on the second round, 30% on
bering in the thousands both to guard the middle layers of the the third, etc. Once berserk, they will stay that way until combat
Nine Hells and to launch devastating attacks against the tanar’ri. ceases.
They are also popular among the more powerful Baatezu to
guard personal treasure or one’s demesne. Habitat/Society: The barbazu have no real internal society. They
The barbazu attacks with a saw-toothed glaive. This terrible are bred for battle, which is what they do best. All other denizens
weapon not only inflicts 2-12 points of damage on a successful of the Nine Hells know that barbazu are exceedingly cruel. Bar-
hit, but the wound caused by the weapon will continue to bleed bazu will rush into combat whenever possible, and often will not
each melee round until the wound is bound (or the victim dies). stop until either they or their opponent is dead. They are perhaps
The victim will continue to suffer 2 points of damage per round the most impetuous and chaotic of the baatezu, and thus have
until tended to. These bleeding glaive wounds are cumulative; 2 gained a very bad reputation among outsiders. However, even
points of damage will be suffered per round per wound. If neces- the pit fiends themselves cannot deny the barbazu’s extreme val-
sary, however, the barbazu is capable of powerful natural at- ue in combat.
tacks. It can deal out two claw attacks for 1-2 points of damage Although the barbazu is a lesser baatezu, they are never found
each and an attack with its wire-like beard for 1-8 points of dam- in command of their own armies. They are simply too chaotic
age. If both claws manage to hit, the beard damage is an auto- and are unfit to lead. Often, though, a barbazu that has proven
matic hit for maximum damage. Also, when the beard hits, there himself of exceptional worth will promoted to an osyluth. Most,
is a 25% chance the victim will contract a disease from the foul however, never survive to see promotion.
attack.
At will, one at a time, one per round, a barbazu can use the Ecology: As noted earlier, the barbazu serves only one function:
following spell-like powers in addition to those available to all fighting. They are bred for combat and combat alone; they have
baatezu: no other purpose and, therefore, no ecological structure other
than military. They are the bulk of the army of the middle layers
• affect normal fires and the most common guards of the greater baatezu. They do not
• command fight out of any particular loyalty or comraderie, but rather out
• fear, by touch
of their violent need to hurt and kill.
• produce flame
Maelestor Rex, Baazka's Lieutenants,
Black Dragon Cornugons
AD 1d12 BW 1d12 AD 1d10 BW Nil
AR 2 SP 6/3/1 AR 4 SP Special
Hits 10 MR 45% Hits 5 MR 50%
ML 18 ML 14
MV 12, Fl 12 (C), Sw 12 MV 9, Fl 18 (C)

Maelestor Rex radiates an aura of awe that Vrag, Vooka, and Vesarius are Baazka’s assist-
causes all enemies within 12” to make a mo- ants. Each of them commands one of his arm-
rale check with a - 4 penalty. His primary tac- ies. In addition to the abilities described
tic at the start of a battle is to swoop across the above, each of them can use the following
enemy lines in an attempt to shatter the mo- powers once per battle: lightning bolt, wall of
rale of the other side. fire, and teleport. They can be hit only by +2
or better weapons.

Baazka,
Barbazu
Pit Fiend
AD 1d8 BW Nil
AD 1d12 BW Nil AR 6 SP Special
AR 2 SP Special Hits 3 MR 30%
Hits 6 MR 50% ML 12
CD 20 MV 15, Fl 24 (C) MV 15

Baazka is the absolute commander of the In the event that the player characters are un-
Hordes of Dragonspear. If he falls, all Dragon- usually tough, the DM might want to intro-
spear units make their morale checks with a duce a few of these fiends to make things
-2 penalty. Baazka has many spell-like abili- more challenging. They can be hit only by
ties and is able to use the following powers +1 or better magical weapons and are able to
once per battle: fireball, wall of fire, and tele- use the following spells once per battle: fear
port. Baazka can be injured only by +3 or and teleport.
better weapons.