IN SEARCH OF THE UNKNOWN

Way back in 1978, Mike Carr wrote a module for Here is a part of the introduction originally in the
Dungeons and Dragons, the first module ever printed module (it lacked the typical teaser on the cover most
for the game. This classic module was called In Search modules later carried):
of the Unknown, and it included tips for GMs, sample
characters, rules for hirelings and henchmen, and was Some years ago Rgahn and Zelligar apparently decided upon
designed to be as flexible as possible. Rooms were a joint foray into the Barbaric Wastes. Taking most of their
largely left unstocked with treasure and monster, and a most trusted servants and employees in a great armed band.
list of suggested monsters and treasure was given at the The two personages disappeared into the forbidding southern
end for the GM to tailor to their wishes. lands, far from the hills and forests surrounding Quasqueton.

The module is fondly remembered as a great introduc- Word just reaching civilization tells of some great battle in
tion to the game of Dungeons and Dragons, and has the Barbaric Wastes where the pair met their demise. This
been reprinted six times over the years. The only real rumored clash happened so long ago that few even remember
weaknesses the module has are the lack of a real story the two. Few details were known of the end these adventurers,
and the randomness of the dungeon. That said it’s a the only thing certain is that Rogahn and Zelligar have been
well-regarded effort and with some minor changes the gone for decades. If only one had the knowledge and where-
spirit of the adventure can be retained. This module is withal to find their hideaway who knows what treasures could
for lower power characters, at most a party of six char- be found, and what adventure?
acters no greater than a total of 300 points, no one
character over 75 total points.

The original module was copyright TSR, and this has been significantly altered to the point of being a separate product, but is so tied to the
original, I still want to give the writers credit. D&D is a copyright of Wizards of the Coast, and Fantasy Hero is a copyright of Hero Games.

1
A@BJFQNTMCÅ
@BJFQNTMCÅ From there they sent word to agents in nearby cities to
handle their business, few of whom even knew the lo-
Many years ago, rumor has it, two noted personages in cation of their employers. The deeds and adventures
the area pooled their resources and expertise to con- of these two characters were never well known, since
struct a home and stronghold for the two of them to they both kept their distance from civilization. Some
use as a base of operations. It was from there that say, and perhaps rightly so, that their motives were
mage Zelligar and warrior Rogahn the Fearless would based on greed and some kind of vague evil.
adventure, train, study, and rest up.
What is known more widely is the reputation of each.
The location of this hidden complex was chosen with Despite their questionable alignment of suspected evil,
care, since both men disliked visitors and intruders. both Rogahn and Zelligar capped their reputation of
Far from the nearest settlement, away from the trav- power when they joined forces to stop a barbarian in-
eled routes and high upon a craggy hill the new con- vasion threatening the great valley below. In a crucial
struction took shape. Carved out of the rock protru- battle at a narrow pass in the hills, the two combined
sion which created the heavily forested hill, this mysti- powerful forces and decisively turned back the inva-
cal hideaway was well hidden and its rumored exis- sion. Rogahn slew the leader and many of the barbari-
tence was never common knowledge. Even less well- ans singlehandedly and Zelligar’s powerful magic was
known was its name, the Caverns of Quasqueton. critical in routing the remaining army. A grateful
populace rewarded the pair and their henchmen with
Construction of the complex, it is said, took over a labor and goods, and the Baron with considerable
decade, even with the aid of magic and the work of treasure. After this, the pair retired from their adven-
hundreds of laborers. Vast a mounts of rock were re- turing, and most of it apparently was used to finance
moved and tumbled off the rough cliffs into large piles the further construction of Quasqueton, although
now overgrown with vegetation. A single tower was some of it yet may be hidden somewhere. In any case
erected above ground for lookout purposes, though the hill stronghold was not completed in its entirety
there was little to see other than a hilly forested wil- when, years later, the intrepid pair apparently em-
derness for miles around. barked on one more, last adventure.

Rogahn and Zelligar lived in their joint sanctuary for KNB@SHNMÅNEÅPT@RPTDSNMÅ

KNB@SHNMÅNEÅPT@RPTDSNMÅ
some time, conducting their affairs from within except
for occasional adventures in the outside world where If you have The Keep on the Borderlands in your cam-
both men attempted to add to their reputations as paign, this module may be placed in that same area
foremost practitioners of their respective arts. where the map has “Unknown” marked.

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@CUDMSTQDÅGNNJR The PCs might off her or let her die, but there will
be consequences when they get back without her
All this just establishes the setting for this adventure, there. She might through the adventure learn a les-
not the adventure its self. There are a lot of ways the son, if you want to have pity on the PCs.
GM can get PCs involved in the setting, and they will
vary based on the kind of characters they are and the 5: Discovery. The PCs find a tower in the woods with
setting and theme of your campaign. no roads and the nearest village miles away. What is
its history? What lies beneath?
1: The Treasure Hunt. Deep in the dungeon is a series
of vaults and key systems to guard the best treasures 6: The Race. A Hunted or enemy of the PCs has found
the pair found on their adventures. Somehow the out about the treasures hidden in Quasqueton to use
PCs have heard about these treasures, possibly from against them or their friends. The PCs find out as
a descendent of one of the original employees of the well, and it becomes a race to find and acquire the
adventurers. This can be as detailed as a location or treasure first. Along the way, hired men, deals with
as vague as simply information on the treasure. It monsters, and the enemies themselves add to the
might involve a piece of the key sequence or a scrib- threats of the dungeon.
bled hint (handout 2).
SGDÅRTQQNTMCHMFÅ@QD@Å
SGDÅRTQQNTMCHMFÅ@QD@Å
2: The Old Map. The PCs get their hands on a piece
of a map, a partial map depicting the general loca- The local village is a small one with no market and
tion, entrance, and part of the first level of Quasque- only a basic smith. He can repair equipment but has
ton (Handout 1). The map promises great treasure only an 11- skill and no ability to work unusual or en-
and great danger. chanted ores. The local inn has only a common room
but cheap food (5 cp gets a day’s lodging and food).
3: The Explorer. Piecing together clues and bits of
information from scattered sources, a scholar be- The locals have no idea what the dungeon is called or
lieves he’s found an amazing site where mighty he- even that there is a dungeon other than the village fool
roes used to live and keep their trophies. He wants who is named Bogwitz and raves about all sorts of
to explore and find the place, but knows it will not things. In his ranting about bees and onions and eating
be safe for him. So he hires adventurers to protect sunlight he mentions the adventurers who lived under
and guide him, since this is more their business than the hill and the word “Quasqueton.” How he learned
his. He is not at all capable in combat but has 14- this is anyone’s guess but he will confront visitors with
perception and knowledge skills that cover the his- his stinking breath and deliver a long and insane dia-
tory of the place and the two adventurers. tribe on how the dirt is corrupted by the star people
and it’s causing children to grow backward and the
4: The Heir. A girl claims to be the granddaughter of a beer tastes like giggles and beards are actually made
mighty warrior named Rogahn from years ago. She from rainbows and so on. He doesn’t sound like a
knows of a place that her ancestor lived in the woods goof, he delivers this in the most serious and intense
of a certain area, a hideaway where he kept his tro- manner like it’s of absolute importance for everyone to
phies and would live between adventures, and wants understand.
to reclaim what’s hers from the family. In particu-
lar, she’s after Rogahn’s Helm as an heirloom, but The hunters and herb gatherers of the area know
won’t tell the PCs this. She’s an obnoxious spoiled enough about the forest that they can guide the PCs to
twit who has lived in luxury and wealth her whole near the tower and point it out, but don’t care to go
life and demands to be tended hand and foot for let- any closer. The problem is that Quasqueton has been
ting the PCs have some of the loot that is all right- partly taken over by Goblins and they hunt and raid the
fully hers. She has no combat skills nor any useful forest nearby. There aren’t many caravans or travelers
skill at all - she’s more properly an incompetent past here so the goblins don’t prey on them much, and
NPC with some political clout (a lower noble). they don’t bother the village yet because it’s a good ten
mile march through the forest and they don’t have
good leadership.
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Still, the area immediately around the hill and on it is The dungeon its self used to have a powerful illusion
dangerous for the locals and they avoid it completely. over locked double doors, but a landslide crushed the
Nobody will go in willingly because locals who go doors and ended the illusion, leaving the doorway
there don’t usually come back. partly open. As it was explored, the doorway was
opened more and now it’s just a hole in the back of a
SGDÅENQDRSÅ
SGDÅENQDRSÅ shallow cave in the hillside.
The forest surrounding Quasqueton is a fairly wild area
with a plentiful supply of wildlife and a decent herb The entry isn’t guarded as the goblins rely on the noisy
content (no modifier to herbalism rolls). There are spell inside to alert them of entry and are not very or-
several creeks that run through it for ready water and ganized in any case. The entrance to Quasqueton is on
while the ground is uneven and hilly it is not difficult the south side of the hill and not hard to spot.
to cross. The hill with the tower on it and the dun-
geon beneath is not especially noteworthy or large, The tower atop the hill is a shell now, the wood floors
which is part of the reason it was chosen for the loca- and stairs scavenged long ago for firewood by the gob-
tion. lins. Even the door was burned. It’s a place where
bats and rats live, and nothing else of value remains.
In the forest distant from the tower the land is fairly
well traveled and hunted, so there aren’t many mon- PT@RPTDSNMÅ
PT@RPTDSNMÅ
sters. When something awful shows up the villagers
send out a hunting party with torches and gang up on The dungeon was originally a series of caves that the
it. If it’s too bad they petition the local nobility, who pair of adventurers found and stashed some loot in
deal with it. The area that the tower is in is too far early. Zelligar cast a few illusion spells to hide and
away to bother with, although if the goblins start be- protect it, and from that an idea grew. They set up
coming a problem a noble will have to take action. some supplies and would stay there, and over time de-
veloped the interior more and more. Finally, using
In the forest near the tower, things get a bit more dark magic and workers, the upper caves were worked until
and difficult. The animals are a bit more hunted so it’s they don’t resemble natural stone caverns at all any
harder to find food (-1 to survival roll) and the water more.
tends to be muddied and disturbed. There is a chance
of running into a monster as well, the GM should roll All walls in this dungeon block teleportation, desolidi-
on this table at least once for the PCs to have an en- fication, and clairsentience, except areas 15 and 16.
counter while getting to the tower.
TOODQÅKDUDKÅ
TOODQÅKDUDKÅ
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS: FOREST The interior walls are smooth stone, like they were
ROLL RESULT NO. grown into place (which, in a way, they were). The
ceilings are a uniform 8 feet high except where noted,
2 Direscale 1
and decorations are at a minimum. The lightning is by
3 Wolves D6 torches, there used to be crystals of little value that
4 Megapede D3 were enchanted to light when someone entered a
room, but the goblins have pried them out, fought
5 Trapper or hunter 1 over them, and ultimately lost them all to Sneeksie
6 Goblin Patrol D6+2 who moves about the dungeon looting. Now the place
is dim and smoky with many areas entirely unlit.
7 Quillrats D6+1

8 Swarmwings (night), Goblin patrol (day) D6 All remaining doors are made of stone, the rest having
been torn down and burned. Stone doors are carefully
9 Red Bear 1
balanced and weighted and open easily but have 6 de-
10 Quill Rat D6-1 fense and 15 body to break through. Doing so will
11 Hunter bats (night) Goblin Hunters (day) D3 make a tremendous racket, sure to attract attention:
check for an encounter twice.
12 Orc Scouts D2

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Q@MCNLÅDMBNTMSDQRÅ
@MCNLÅDMBNTMSDQRÅ The third pair of alcoves have enchantments in them,
a pair of illusions that look like the very stone opens
While in the dungeon, the GM should roll a D6 each up mouths to shout at intruders. They are triggered
new area the players pass through or each time the PCs as soon as any one over the weight of 30 pounds and
do something that would attract attention. If the play- alive passes by heading into the dungeon. On each
ers camp in the dungeon, roll a D6 each watch during side, in the alcoves the magical mouths appear and
the night in the same way. If a 1 results from the D6 shout
rolls, roll on the table below for an encounter.
The East mouth booms first:
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS: LEVEL ONE
ROLL RESULT NO. Who dares enter this place and intrude
intrude
2 Orc Delegation D3+2 upon the sanctuary of its inhabitants?
3 Cloud Beetle 1 To which the West mouth replies after a short
4 Megapede pause:
5 Rattleskull and D6 goblin escort D6+1
Only a group of foolhardy explorers
explorers
6 Sewer Rats D6+1 doomed to certain death!
7 Fire Beetle 1-2
After a short pause, both boom in unison:
8 Swarmwings D6+4
9 Greatshanks and D3+1 goblin escort D3+2 Woe to any who pass further—
further—the
10 Sneaksie 1 wrath of Zelligar and
and Rogahn will be
upon them!
11 Whizbang Beetles D3
12 Shakes the Quillrat 1 Both mouths boom in raucous laughter which fades
as the mouths vanish. This triggers each time a new
Note that not all encounters necessarily mean attack. group of people pass the alcoves heading inward,
Sneaksie, for instance, will simply follow the charac- once per day. It serves as a rather effective alarm, as
ters as cautiously and stealthily as he is able to some the voices can be heard all the way to the northern-
time steal from them. most part of the level, and with a good perception
roll in the second level.
TOODQÅKDUDKÅDMBNTMSDQÅ@QD@RÅ
TOODQÅKDUDKÅDMBNTMSDQÅ@QD@RÅ
The goblins are not interested in standing guard and
1. ALCOVES: This long hallway is lit by a pair of simply use this for their alarm system. Roll for or
torches set in sconces between the sets of alcoves, select an encounter immediately after the mouths do
for a total of four torches. This makes the hallway their little bit: that’s what comes to investigate the
quite dim and dark. There are three pairs of al- racket.
coves past the entrance, located as they are for pur-
poses of defense against intruders or invaders. The Just north of the last set of alcoves is a short stair-
guard points are all empty and devoid of markings. case, two steps up. At the top of these steps is a
Anyone moving up this hallway smells rotting flesh, grisly sight. Here lie five bodies in advanced state of
the smell of old death. decomposition. Adventurers, explorers they were.
The smell here is horrible, but the goblins left the
The second pair of alcoves are actually secret one- bodies here on purpose.
way doors, but so well crafted that they cannot be
noted from this side with ordinary means. The Body 1 is a human warrior, slumped against the
doors were designed to allow escape or reinforce- wall. His sword is broken in half and his armor has
ment behind invaders at this point. been stripped. Under the body spilled 3 copper that
the goblins missed.

5
 Body 2 is a mage of some sort, impaled against a This looks like the rest of the kettle and without a -2
wall. His robes are mageguild, and though he rots, PER roll it will not be seen. Under the wax plug is a
he is held upright by a spear thrust through his body small depression with a bronze key in it. This is the
and broken off. If the spear is removed, the body first key to the vault sequence.
will rumple to the ground, revealing a blood-stained
word carved expertly into the wall: Quasqueton. 3. DINING ROOM: This room is unlit and has no tor-
This is merely the name of the place, but it might be hes. Across the hall from the kitchen is the dining
mysterious to adventurers. Hidden in the breast of room, a very large area that the pair would eat their
the robe is a pouch containing old dry, rotten herbs meals in with the servants and rare guests. Decora-
and 4 silver. tions that once were on the walls such as trophy
heads and hangings have been torn down by the gob-
Body 3 is another warrior, this time a Dwarf. He lins and taken for elsewhere. There are several ta-
lies face down just East of the intersection. It ap- bles and many chairs in the room, although fewer
pears he crawled here, dragging blood, and died as a than there once were as the goblins have been using
trail of blood leads from the steps to where he is, them for firewood as well.
and pooled. The blood is now long dried. The
dwarf is lying on top of a broken war hammer and Two chairs, however are set apart from the rest.
beside him lies a money bag, turned inside out. They are on opposite ends of the main central table
and are ornately carved, large throne-like chairs.
Body 4 is nondescript, she died on top of a broken Each has special carving on them, the East one has a
shield and three intact broadhead arrows, sprawled Z and magical symbols, the West one has an R and
against the northeast corner. martial symbols. They are affixed to the floor and
made of fine wood. The goblins haven’t touched
Body 5 is small and lithe, with dark clothing and a these for fear they are magical or trapped.
mask. He has a little pouch hidden in his sleeve with
picks and tools in it, and throwing knives secreted In the arm of Zelligar’s chair there is a compartment
about his clothing; a total of 6. that can be opened. The mechanism to open the
compartment takes a -2 PER roll to spot, if it is be-
These bodies are lifeless and stinking as they slowly ing looked for (a -6 might spot it if not looking and
rot, but if the PCs try to move them out of the hall- the GM is feeling generous). Within the compart-
way 20 feet or more (or try to destroy them), or if ment is a Wand of Dazzle
the PCs pass by them further into the dungeon, each
one lifts off the ground with a horrid groan: they are The seat of Rogahn’s chair lifts up, and within it is a
zombies! The goblin shaman Rattleskull enchanted light crossbow (the string worthless now) and two
the bodies of slain adventurers to kill any intruders. daggers. They are of no special quality, but useful in
They only attack non-goblins and only in the above an emergency. There are 10 quarrels as well.
circumstances. Otherwise they appear completely
lifeless without some manner of magical detection. 4. LOUNGE: This room has no light. After dinner,
when entertaining guests, the adventurers would
2. KITCHEN: This long room is unlit. The skinny retire to this room. An empty keg stands in one cor-
room was once a place of food preparation and stor- ner with a rack of mugs by it. Large stuffed chairs
age. There are cooking pits, a chimney too small to are centered around a table with a chess board on it
climb (10” square), long tables with scattered and (but no pieces, Sneaksie got those too). The board is
spilled materials such as flour, and various cooking worth 12 silver on its own, but Sneaksie didn’t see
utensils like spatulas and spoons. Hanging from the the value in it. The wall has shelves, but no books or
ceiling in the Southwest corner near a cooking pit is scrolls, Rattleskull took those already. A fireplace
a cast iron kettle two feet across. It is hung from a stands on one wall, cold and dark with a flue that a
chain near the ceiling and shows signs of regular use. small race such as Ratman could climb up if he
Within this kettle is a small black waxen plug on the wanted. It comes up under the tower and runs up
bottom. the side of the tower to the roofed top.

6
 The handle has a pin trap on it that also has a wax-
based poison which paralyzes the appendage that it
hit, causing the limb to be crippled for a full day
(unless a disabling wound is cured). There is a lock
under the handle, one has to lift it to see the lock
(and thus suffer the attack, although any hard armor
will ignore it). The lock is -2 to pick, and the key
has long since been lost. Within the chest is a shal-
In the room are two statues of marble, a man and a low wooden drawer that sets inside the chest, divid-
woman beckoning to each other on opposite sides of ing it into two sections.
the room. Each is worth a fair amount of money (at
least 75 silver if a buyer can be found), but each also In this drawer is a small flat circular iron container
weighs 1700 pounds and stands five feet tall. with D6+3 doses of this waxy poison (called
Eskand). Also there is an 18” brass rod with one end
5. SHAMAN’S CHAMBER: This used to be Zelligar’s flattened, part of the vault sequence. Lying on the
primary chamber, where he slept and worked al- bottom of the drawer flat is a Scroll of Assay.
though his main workshop is elsewhere (areas 8-9).
The room is lit by several reddish glowing wicker Lifting out the drawer portion reveals a set of folded
woven cages hung from the ceiling containing very robes of fine quality but non magical design and
minor elementals. If the cages are broken or cut other pieces of clothing such as sashes, cloaks,
free, the elementals escape and disappear. The gloves, boots, hose, and so on worth a total of D3+2
room has a carving the length of the North wall de- in D6 silver. Under the neatly folded clothing (fits
picting a wizard (Zelligar) on a hilltop casting a spell any normal sized human comfortably) is a statue of
over a valley below while an army routs in confused Mirond rolled in black velvet of a beautiful nymph
panic. This is a rather stylized and self aggrandizing worth 3D6+3 silver and a pair of matching wands
version of Zelligar’s contribution to defending the that have not been enchanted but are ready to be.
valley. The wands are also rolled in velvet and are made of
what looks like the forelegs of an eagle, with
However, closer examination reveals that this mural clutched talons.
actually reveals the sequence and devices needed to
open the vault. This is detailed on Handout 2. Lying on the hammock is a book. Rattleskull cannot
read but likes to be seen with a book, as it makes
There are pegs on the south and east walls with gar- him look terribly magical and educated. The book is
ments hanging from them, the shaman Rattleskull is a historical work regarding a kingdom that used to
rather vain and likes to change clothes a lot. In the stand in this area back in the Elven days. It has noth-
Southeast corner is a large, ornately carved bed ing of any immediate use or detail, although the GM
frame which has a hammock incongruously slung in might use it in the future for clues or details regard-
it. The bedding was taken and burned, but the ing an adventure set in this area.
frame was too solid and looked too important to be
destroyed. When Rattleskull arrived, he hung his The room generally will be empty, as Rattleskull
hammock in the frame because he thinks it looks im- spends most of his time in the library (area 12) or
pressive. The bedframe weighs 850 pounds total but workshop (areas 8-9). If Rattleskull is present (8-
would sell for 50 or more silver, if the thing can be chance or GM fiat), he will be attended to by a gob-
moved. lin girl and the doors will be locked with a special
spell Rattleskull came up with. The doors are held
A large chest is at the foot of the bed, made of the shut with 18 strength, which looks like goblin hands
same rosewood as the bed frame. It is closed and holding the door at the edges. He probably will be
nobody has opened it because it has a trap. asleep if here, but opening the doors will make con-
siderable noise in most cases.

7
6: CLOSET. The closet is unlit. This room is very The third book is not a book at all, but a wooden
large for a closet, but that is how it served for Zelli- facsimile that is attached to the wall by a metal bar.
gar. The room is almost entirely barren because the When tipped forward, the first step of the vault se-
clothes were mostly removed for the long trip south quence is triggered.
by Zelligar, the remainder later stripped by maraud-
ing goblins. The final book is a study on magic theory with Zelli-
gar’s notes in the margins and on ever blank space.
7: ANNEX. Zelligar used this room for study and The book grants +1 magic skill after a month’s
meditation, and it is unlit. The door to the annex is study, and when used with magic research gives a
held by Rattleskull’s goblin-hand hold door spell. +1 bonus as a helpful tool. This book would sell for
Only Rattleskull has easy access here, as the goblins 15 silver.
have a holy fear of magic and won’t mess with any-
thing obviously enchanted. 8. WORKSHOP: Entry to this room requires discov-
ering the secret door in the corridor. The corridor
Rattleskull has cast an illusion in the room of a Gi- in question is wide and painted with a variety of dif-
gantic Spider (use the stats for an Ushand Spider if ferent figures, a mage and a warrior at different
any are required) which will leap out of the darkness stages in their life. The secret door is -2 sight PER
and attack. The spider illusion is not very strong, to find even if someone is looking, however, a luck
but it affects all who are in the hall or the bedroom, roll will show Rattleskull walking into the room and
for 8D6 Mental Illusion. The spider will leap on the door’s existence. The door is opened by pushing
someone and bite, then when they are disbelieving the eyes of a painted wizard on the wall. This room
leap to another. is lit by a two blue crystals set in the ceiling that
glow when someone enters. The goblins feared this
In the actual room is a set of shelves and a large room’s obvious magical content and did not loot it at
stuffed chair. The walls are hung with dark neutral all. Rattleskull likes to spend time in here and area
colored hangings that lend to a contemplative atmos- 9, so there’s a 14- chance he’s in either room. Oth-
phere. The chair is odd in that it has no legs or arms erwise this room will be uninhabited.
and is designed for sitting in cross-legged, leaning
back. This room has several large wooden tables in it, and
both sides of the door on the north wall to area 9
On the shelves are four well-bound books. The first have long shelves along them. A large slab of stone
is a treatise on local plants written about 100 years stained with various unknown materials and blood is
ago but is still quite valid. It gives a base KS of 8- in the center of the room. On the north shelves is a
regarding forest plants of temperate Jolrhos if a variety of mundane objects such as paper, dry ink
week is taken to study the text. If the character has wells, quills, empty (cracked and ruined) scroll
herbalism, they gain a +1 bonus to forest herbalism tubes, straw, folded dirty cloth, and 40 jars. Each
skill as well. If they already have a forest plant KS, jar has odd stuff in it, such as spice, fungus powder,
then the book is too rudimentary to learn much. salt, wood chips, hardened sap, metal filings, oil,
This book would sell for 7 silver. insect bodies, salt, sand, and so on. They were used
in Zelligar’s potion-making practice, something he
The second book appears to be a series of hand- was never very good at. Each bottle sells for 2D6
written scribbles of nonsense or code, unreadable. copper. One jar on the shelf is unusually large, and
Zelligar wrote his diary in this book, and cast Encode contains a black cat floating in some clear liquid. If
on it. Now dead, only he knew the key to decode it, the stopper is opened, the liquid evaporates and the
but a cryptography roll at -3 and a week’s study can cat comes to life, leaps out, and runs away if it can.
pick out the code, or the proper spell can. This It is just an ordinary cat, preserved in an extraordi-
book would sell for 1 silver, or if decoded, for 50 or nary way. Hidden behind the jars is a plain brass
more silver. The diary has no real secrets in it, but ring with a broken arrow etched into it. This is a
is full of biographical and historical information magical charm called the Broken Arrow Ring.
about the heroic pair.

8
9. LABORATORY: This room is also accessible by a An alchemist can determine the effects of the gas
secret door. This door is -2 PER to spot as well, and without releasing the entire batch with a straight Al-
a luck roll again can spot this (but only if it has not chemy roll, and with a successful roll by -5 will be
found room 8). able to recreate the stuff. The glass bottle has 1
body and 1 defense, and weighs .4 kg. It has a size
Dominating the room is a large human skeleton sus- of 5 due to bulk.
pended from the ceiling and hanging in the northeast
corner of the laboratory. The skull is cracked. Several pine logs are piled beneath one of the tables,
(Were there anyway to know, it would be discov- and if these are moved a shiny “gold” ring will be
ered to be a barbarian chieftain's remains...) found. Although it appears brilliant and valuable, it
is worth only D6 copper. However, D6 pieces of
About the room are several large wooden tables, just the wood are actually Helvorn, each worth 3D6 cp.
as found in the workroom (room 8), and another
heavy stone table which is likewise similar to the one On the south wall is a stretched leather skin with
appearing next door. The tables are bare, except for magical writings which will be undecipherable with-
a single stoppered smoked glass bottle on one of out magical aid. The legend, if interpreted, will
them. If the cork is removed, the gas within will read: "What mysterious happenings have their birth
immediately issue forth with a whoosh. The vapors here? Only the greatest feats of wizardry, for which
are pungent and fast-acting, and all characters within every element of earth, water and sky is but a tool!"
three meters may be affected by laughing gas. The The skin is old and extremely fragile, and any at-
gas acts as a CON-based mind control of 7D6, to tempts to remove it will cause irreparable harm and
force everyone to laugh uncontrollably. Characters render it useless because of the skin crumbling away.
afflicted by an effect equal to CON will find every-
thing terribly funny and tend to laugh rather than A sunken fire pit, blackened and cold, is noticeable
talk. CON+10 effect causes characters to helplessly as the centerpiece of the room. The pit is only 2'
laugh and need a DEX roll to keep holding or carry- deep, although it appears slightly less than that due
ing any items or engage in any activity other than to several inches of ashes resting within it. An iron
walking. Any higher effect will cause characters to bracing and bar across the 4' wide opening suspend a
rock with spasms of great laughter, staggering about cast iron pot which is empty except for a harmless
the room, chuckling and bellowing with great glee. brown residue sticking to its interior sides and bot-
They will be able to take no other action than laugh tom. Another similar pot which is more shallow lies
and stagger about, hold their gut, and so on. on the floor alongside the pit, and it is empty. Both
pots are extremely heavy, weighing 250 pounds
The noise of those under the effect of the laughing each.
gas will necessitate a special additional check for
wandering monsters being attracted to the ruckus. Off in the southwest corner are two vats, each of
Clever characters may not open the bottle, but in- approximately 100 gallon capacity. Both are made of
stead take it with them to use elsewhere. wood and both are empty. A third vat nearby, only
half the size of its neighbors, is half filled with
murky, muddy water. A stone block used as a table
or stand is next to the vats, and along the west wall.
It has six earthen containers just like those found in
the workroom (room 8), and any contents within
them should be determined in the same manner as
described there. There are also pieces of glassware of
various types on the top of the stand, as well as on
the floor next to it. An empty wooden coffin, quite
plain and utilitarian, rests upright in the northwest
corner. It opens easily and is empty. The wood
seems to be rotting in places.

9
 Two kegs rest against the north wall, and examina- There are three large oaken tables within the room,
tion will show them to each hold a strange acrid one in each cardinal direction, Wooden chairs are
smelling liquid, at the bottom of which is a jagged scattered about and in two corners of the room are
piece of metal bent at odd angles. The metal pieces dusty, dingy and long abandoned but comfortable
are a centimeter square and fifty centimeters long, stuffed chairs.
bent at right angles several times each.
Wall sconces are mounted around the room and
Wooden shelving on the north wall holds more from each hangs a black iron cage the size of a bas-
glassware and three more containers (as those in ketball. In each is a fire beetle, glowing redly. They
room 8 and likewise determined). Two small trays illuminate the entire room well, and the insects
hold powdered incense of different colors, mundane seem to be thriving in their cramped captivity, al-
and old, dusty incense that has largely lost its scent. though if the sconce or cage is removed or opened,
the beetles die.
10. STOREROOM. This irregularly shaped room,
hidden by a secret door (-1 PER to spot, opens by The library is modesty supplied with books, tomes,
sliding the cloth covering aside revealing a wooden volumes, pages, scrolls, and booklets of various
door with a hole in it to grab and swing open), con- sizes. They are not magical and although the books
tains a small number of supplies compared to how are somewhat valuable (D6 in D6 copper each, a
much the room could contain. The contents are not total of 3D6 books), they are of topics such as bot-
spoiled but are very old, musty, and dusty tasting. any, winemaking, poetry, account keeping, histories
They contain such things as candy, rye flower, rai- of metallurgy, and so on.
sins, brined fish, wine, soap, and so on. In the bot-
tom of a keg containing honey is another piece of 13. IMPLEMENT ROOM. Another storage room,
metal like the ones in area 9, and the keg is marked this one smaller and more filled with tools. There is
the same as those kegs. Each keg is marked with a nothing of particular value to the characters other
different symbol. than a few mining picks, pry bars, and iron spikes
and hammers.
11. SUPPLY ROOM. The door to this room is partly
open. This room is the stronghold’s supply room However, on the north wall, fairly well (-2 PER to
and is rather empty, containing mostly construction spot) concealed considering its size, is a counter-
supplies. The shelves and boxes contain dried glue, weight mechanism for the portcullis trap in the cor-
10 foot 6x6 wooden beams, sacks of mortar, boxes ridor just outside the room, as well as a lever to raise
of nails, boxes of iron spikes, 20 foot lengths of the barrier once it has been tripped. No more than
heavy rope (200 pound test, but weighing 8 kg each) two characters at a time can attempt to use the lever
and other hardware such as door knobs, hinges, and to raise the portcullis. The second character adds 5
such. A Rust Beast has found its way into the room, strength to the highest strength. The lever has 30
chewing on metal supplies. Much of the room’s strength due to rust and age, and the characters must
contents have been corroded and devoured. beat it in a strength vs strength contest to open the
portcullis. Each group of two can only attempt once
12. LIBRARY. Quasqueton’s library lies behind a pair to move the lever.
of ornately carven doors. The floor of the room is
covered with dust, but beneath is a beautiful and The trap its self is in the corridor outside the door of
polished surface of shiny red granite. The stone is the room, just beyond it to the east. It will spring
inlaid in large blocks and extends uniformly to when one or more PCs reach a point ten feet in front
within a foot of each wall. In the very center of the of the dead end wall, falling at the point indicated
room within the floor surface are blocks of white with a dotted line on the map, ten feet further back.
granite within the red stone forming the letters “R & The trap is difficult to spot (-3 PER, -1 to traps
Z.” skill), and makes a terrible racket when it falls:
check immediately for a random encounter.

10
 If a player character thinks they are headed north when
they are actually going east, they should be told it is
north until they know otherwise.

Once the teleportation has been triggered in a room,

it will not occur again until the room is empty and
the door has been closed from the outside. Then it
will trigger again once the room is entered, as
above. Both rooms will magically have their doors
in exactly the same position the players left it when
they are teleported. Once all the players are out of
either room, both doors close automatically after ten
seconds.

17. CHAR STORAGE CELLAR. This twenty foot

The bars of the portcullis are rusty and weak; it only square room is used for storing fuel for the smithy
has 5 defense and 7 body. Some of the tools in the across the hallway. The room is lined with blackish
store rooms may be used to hack or pry the portcul- soot and dust, but there is only a small pile of coal
lis apart. against the north wall.

14. AUXILLARY STOREROOM. This extra store- There is a false door on the west wall of the room.
room is empty of goods and supplies. In one corner It cannot be opened, although it does seem to rest in
is a pile of rock rubble. a frame, and will even rattle or more slightly if great
strength is applied. The door is an ordinary door, it
15 & 16. TELEPORTATION ROOMS. A powerful just will not open and nothing is behind it, until the
spell has been permanently placed upon these two vault sequence reaches a certain point.
rooms of equal size and shape. There is no indica-
tion of any spell or magic unless some sort of detec- Once the vault sequence has been started in area 7,
tion ability or spell is used. then this door can be opened, and behind it are three
switches. All three must be facing down for the next
Both rooms function in the same manner once their lock to open in the vault, which will be audible as
doors are opened. In each room, at the corner far- machinery clanks and rumbles somewhere when it
thest from the door, is a shiny, sparkling outcrop- happens. However, the switches cannot be moved
ping of crystalline rock which will dazzle when light singly, nor all at once. Two of them must be
is reflected off of it; in both rooms the outcroppings thrown at the same time, and they start with the
are identical. Once adventurers enter the room to center switch (B) down and the others (A and C) up.
investigate this, the entire party is instantly tele- The PCs must find a way to get all three facing
ported to identical locations at the other room - down, using two switches at once.
whether they be in the room itself or nearby in the
hallway. This teleportation occurs without the ad- The fastest sequence is to throw C and B opposite,
venturer noticing that it has occurred; that is, they then A and B at the same time downward. If all
have no way of "feeling" that anything unusual has three switches ever are pushed all up at the same
happened. Their relative facing and positions are time, the entire Vault sequence resets, which means
identical, rotated to reflect the layout of the other starting from the beginning. No matter how the
room they have been sent to. To reflect this fact party left the switches, when the door is opened
without tipping off the players, the GM should ad- again, they will be in their starting position as de-
just directions and mapping information. scribed above.

11
18. SMITHY. The Smithy is an irregularly shaped Once the ring has torn loose, obviously it cannot be
room which actually seems to be almost two sepa- used again in this manner.
rate areas. An eerie wind whistles through the up-
per areas of the room near the ceiling, a natural ef- A clever player could use a few of the longer logs to
fect which was used to vent exhaust fumes out of the place over the opening and suspend the rope from
room. Three fire pits lie dormant in the northeast them, and this will hold up to 500 pounds safely.
20 foot square portion of the room, located on the While the party is in this room, check twice for an
north wall, northeast corner, and east wall. In the encounter, as it is checked more often for fuel.
center of the room is a gigantic forging anvil. A
hand bellows hangs on the wall to the west. 20. GUARD POST. This spot is where two goblins
stand guard, wearing leather armor and bearing a
The larger southwest portion of the smithy is mostly spear, a small shield, and a dagger each. They are
barren, although there is space and hanging hooks for watchful and vigilant, and can see down the hallway
various tools which are all vacant. easily. The whole hallway here is lit with torches
that are renewed regularly. The guards change shift
19. ACCESS ROOM. This room adjoins the smithy every three hours, swapping with someone from
and also provides vertical access to the lower level of within area 21.
the stronghold.
The guards here respond to the magic alarm in the
In the northeast corner of the room and along the areas marked 1 by moving to the secret doors and
north wall are log sections of various sizes stacked in readying to move out into the hall behind any in-
a pile, apparently as additional fuel for the smithy. truders.
The room is otherwise empty.
21. MEETING ROOM. This long and narrow room
In the southeast portion of the room there is a large originally served as some kind of auditorium or
hole in the floor about three feet square. Over the meeting room. A large stone slab at the north end
opening is a single layer of longer sticks of wood of the room serves as a sort of stage, rising ten inches
stacked on top of it like a lid. off the floor to accommodate speakers.

If light is held from above, it is impossible to see Now the room is cleared of benches (most have been
how deep the opening is, although a torch dropped burned for fuel) and is set up with small partitions
below will show a rough stone floor forty feet created by hanging cloth from the ceiling. The cloth
down. The goblins use this room to dispose of law- is old and rotting, but serves to separate each section
breakers or troublesome visitors, as they fear what from the others, creating twenty foot wide and eight
lives beneath. They are who stacked the wood atop foot deep partitions. Each partition has a split in the
the opening. cloth that allows entry, but are otherwise hanging
the length of their section. This leaves a four foot
There is a large iron ring anchored to the south wall wide passage down the middle of the hall to the end,
near the hole, and if a rope is fastened to it, it can be in which the last ten feet is unpartitioned. There the
used to assist in descending to the lower level. The goblin chieftain will give speeches and various events
fastening, however is a bit loose, and it has an 8- are held such as dances, torture, and so on.
chance to come free when any weight is put on it.
This chance is increased by 1 for every 25 pounds A total of five goblin families live here, consisting of
over 100, so a 200 pound person would give the ring one adult couple, one teen aged (treat as mature)
a 12- chance of coming free. Check once each per- goblin, and three young that are non combatants,
son who climbs down, if the ring gives way, it does although they will fling debris, feces, and anything
at a random distance, causing the character to fall for else they can reach at any intruders). All the goblins
D6 in D6 (1-6D6 total) normal damage. Each time here are armed with spear and dagger, but have no
the rope is used and the ring holds, everyone watch- armor.
ing gets a hearing and sight perception roll at -2 to
notice the strain and weakness.
12
22. GARDEN ROOM. Once the showplace of the Scattered among these plants are many edible fun-
entire stronghold, this garden has become a botanical gus, several poisonous toadstools and growths, a few
nightmare over the passage of time. With no one to herbs, and a few unpleasant surprises. Any character
tend the gardens, molds and fungi have grown out of who makes an herbalism roll will find D6 doses of
control. Overhead a strange greenish light emits herbs per point the roll is made by (starting with 3
from what parts of the ceiling not obscured by plant for the base success). Roll on the table below for
growth. which herbs are found:
ROLL HERB DOSE
Each of the planters was once well tended, but now
have become overgrown with various plants, pre- 2 Ceel (AP on weapon) D3
senting an eerie and forbidding sight. The plants are 3 Mithyave (LS: bad air) D6
now growing on every surface, even under the doors
4 Heth (harden defenses on metal) D6
and out into the halls slightly. The floor is covered
with a carpet of olds, mosses, and fungus in a rain- 5 Sfalen (Random effect) D3
bow of colors and shapes, the planters stand with 6 Casrath (+8 paramedic roll) D3+2
huge fungus and plants rarely seen, the walls are
painted with swirls of molds and plant life, sprouting 7 Lammang (food) D6+2
with shelf fungus and various protuberances. The 8 Tseath (glows for 1 hour as candle) D6+1
ceiling hangs with fungus as well, some so large they
9 Pech Alar (D6 recovery aid) D3
might brush the head of an unwary traveler.
10 Madarkh (regen 1 bod/hour) D3
Any character with botany or herbalism skill will 11 Klathull (IR Vision) D3+1
notices that some of the plants have been cut or har-
vested, and anyone with tracking will spot trails and 12 Carsath (hard defenses) D3
footprints in the room where goblins have passed.
Also in the room are a few fungal creatures. One of
The goblins use this room as a garden still, choosing
them is the large puffy fungus called Coflosen, also
the edible plants for dinner and the dangerous plants
known as Puffbladders. If disturbed, there is a 14-
for the shaman’s experiments.
chance that it bursts in a hex-sized cloud of spores.
The room may be passed through, but unless the
A dexterity roll (intelligence roll complimentary)
characters are stealthy, they will disturb the various
will prevent breathing any of the spores, as will any
plants and cause small clouds of spores to rise.
appropriate life support - assuming the characters
These spores are not toxic, but will be problematic.
did not previously state any protective measures,
Should any character cause a cloud, they will have an
such as holding their breath. The spores cause
11- chance of any food they are carrying becoming
itching on whatever they settle, armor
infested. The food will be edible for one day, then
notwithstanding, which results in a penalty of -1 to
after that will turn strange gray and yellow colors
OCV and DCV, and dexterity rolls. If the spores
and sprout mold, causing it to be ruined and inedi-
are breathed in, they cause a ½D6 Killing Attack
ble.
(NND (immune to disease), full damage, +2 stun
modifier). This also causes a 9D6 CON based mind
If more than one character causes the spores to rise,
control: paralysis as the character is doubled over
they both suffer the above effect, and the air be-
coughing and gagging which fades at 1 level of effect
comes difficult to breathe and see in. Any combat
per phase. Any spores that settle on food spoil it
that is fought in this room always causes this effect.
over night, ruining it visibly as described above.
All sight and smell perception rolls are reduced by -2
and each phase a character spends more than 1 END
Behind one of these Coflosen is a metal bar shaped
they must make a CON roll or spend half a phase
like a large staple. Pulling this upward wil cause it
coughing and choking. If the roll is failed by 3 or
to lift and click audibly, causing machinery to rum-
more, they lose an entire phase. Any life support
ble somewhere else, this is the next step of the vault
that purifies air or removes the need to breathe en-
sequence.
tirely negates this effect.
13
 Also in the room is a Dusky Polyp, looking like a 24. MISTRESS’ CHAMBER. This room was originally
very large shelf fungus of dark gray with lighter gray the chamber for Melissa, Rogahn’s sweetheart.
and yellowish veins shot through it. It grows in the However, it is now housing the chieftain’s harem,
far north semicircular planter and will immediately such as it is. At any given time there are D6+1 fe-
fire off a bolt of electricity against anything larger male goblins lounging in the room, bathing, applying
than a rat that draws within twenty feet. The Polyp makeup, sewing, talking, and so on. The goblin girls
only has 12 endurance in its reserve, so it cannot use will raise a storm of noise and shouting, throwing
its powers very much and can easily be avoided. things at anyone who intrude, but are not combat-
ants and are effectively trapped in this room by the
If someone has a Poison skill, they can find poisons in arrangement of corridors. They will bite and kick
this room as well, D6 total doses, +1 per point they and throw objects at anyone who loots the room,
make their skill roll by. Roll on the table below for but will not be a real threat.
what sort of poison is discovered:
The room its self was once rich and lush but now is
ROLL HERB DOSE
spoiled and ravaged by time and abuse from goblins.
2 Black Cap (3D6 KA) D2 The finest bed, similar to the one in area 5, is now in
3 Celadine (3d6 1Def paralysis) D3 sad shape, broken down with the mattress box on
the floor and the canopy missing setting on the far
4 Black Mead (D6 DEX Drain) D6 south end. The foremost wife of the goblin chieftain
5 Haress (1D6 KA) D3+1 sleeps in this bed, with the others making due with
6 Delesgal (2D6 CON drain) D6
hammocks slung around the room.

7 Veinfire (drain 3D6 DEX, 2D6 CON) D6 The stand beside this large bed is in better shape, but
8 Magewort (D6 drain magic roll) D3 still worn and old. Above it is a large mirror affixed
to the wall and atop the stand is an assortment of
9 Lothgalen (D6 drain DEX, STR) D6
combs, brushes, and an old and stained lace cloth.
10 Bistort (2D6 STN Drain) D6 One of the combs is silver, worth 5 sp. An old per-
11 Xomarti (prevents eating) D3 fume set is inside the bedstand in the drawer, but the
scents have long evaporated. The four bottles are
12 Joef (5D6 Drain STR, CON) D3 well made, and worth 25 cp each.
23. STORAGE ROOM. This room was once used for Part of the wall in the northwest corner is not carved
furniture storage, and there are still woodchips and a out square, as it forms a basin which has a drain
bench for working wood on the north wall, but now carved into the bottom. The basin has no water in
it has been converted into the goblin armory. Here it, although there is a cask next to it containing old,
the chieftain keeps the weapons and armor of the dusty water.
goblins locked away safely until needed, and he
alone has the key. Along the walls are stacked 25. ROGAHN’S CHAMBER. Rogahn’s personal
spears, axes, daggers, shields, throwing axes, sling quarters are oddly shaped and protected by a set of
stones in bags, slings, and suits of goblin-sized secret doors leading to areas 27 and eventually 24,
leather armor. The door is shut and locked, and the above. The curving walls of the room are immedi-
lock causes a -2 penalty to any lockpicking attempts. ately noticeable as different from the others in the
Various lurid and nasty looking symbols are painted stronghold not just for their construction, but their
on the door in blood: warnings by the goblin shaman covering. The walls are covered with vertical sec-
although they are not magical. tions of rough-finished fir wood, each narrow plank
running from floor to ceiling. If any of the planks
are removed (and several have come loose) they re-
veal only stone and remnants of cement to hold the
plank in place.

14
 In each of the four curved corners of the room are To this end Greatshanks may use the teleporter
brackets, but only two still hold tattered, decaying rooms of 15 and 16 if possible, setting an ambush in
tapestries (depicting scenes of battle). There is a the other room and telling the party there is treasure
very large and unusually well preserved bed here hidden in the room. He may also try to get the char-
compared to the rest of the furniture in the dun- acters to go into the pit in area 19 and consider them
geon, upon which with an 11- chance there is a gob- dealt with. He might try to get the characters to try
lin girl, hiding under the covers and peeking out, to drink some of the more lethal liquids in the pool
hoping not to be seen. room of area 31. Mostly he wants the PCs dead and
their gear in his hands, but he’s willing to part with
The rest of the room contains a cabinet of wood their equipment if it means they are dead.
(empty), a wooden stool, and a large chest that is
closed. Normally this room is empty, as the chief- The main door to this room is concealed as part of
tain is busy elsewhere, but there is a small chance the stone wall; the hall appears to end in a curved
the chief might be met here. Roll on the table be- niche but upon closer examination (-2 sight Percep-
low for where the chieftain is when the PCs arrive at tion roll or a successful mechanics or trap roll) re-
this room. He will remain there until the party finds veals a tilting stone set in the wall that opens the
him or he is called upon: door.
ROLL LOCATION
The southern secret doors are worked cleverly into
1 Room 25, Chieftain’s room the wooden paneling and are visible with the same
2 Room 5, Shaman’s Room skill checks as above. One piece of the panel next to
the door opens like a little panel and a lever is re-
3 Room 27, Throne Room
vealed behind it to open the doors.
4 Room 21, Goblin living quarters
5 Room 24, Harem Worked into the head of the bed is a letter R, which
can be rotated 90 degrees to the right, triggering the
6 Room 23, Armory next section of the vault sequence.
The Goblin Chieftain is named Greatshanks, and he
26. TROPHY ROOM. The stronghold’s trophies
is unusually big for a goblin. Greatshanks is always
from various adventures and travels were kept in this
accompanied by two goblin guards (shield, leather
room. Some of them are still here, but most have
armor, spear, dagger) and his pet Quillrat Shakes.
been looted or destroyed. Still here is the statue of a
When he is in the Harem or his own room, the
basilisk (actually a basilisk who was tricked into us-
guards stand outside the door to area 25 in the semi-
ing its gaze on a mirror), a large standing stone that
circle and Shakes sleeps on the floor nearby.
was critical in the defeat of a shaman but is just an
ordinary rock, and along the entire north wall is a
Inside the chest is the goblin treasury, kept for pay-
decaying and sagging skin from a dragon.
ing off troublesome intruders, buying goods, and
tribute to the orcs in the nearby caves. Greatshanks
The scales have been removed, but the skin remains,
has the key to this chest around his neck on a cord at
still a brassy golden red color, but much dulled over
all times, and the lock is -1 to pick. Within the chest
time. It has lost any of the usual properties that
is 87 copper and 15 silver in two bags, a set of can-
make such a skin useful for armor and is a decaying
dlesticks and dinnerware of silver worth 125 copper
wreck now, but still quite impressive.
total, and a Cloak of fenen that is too big for anyone
but Greatshanks and he doesn’t like how it looks.
The room now has Greatshanks’ skull collection on
the pedestals set evenly through the room. These
Greatshanks will try to kill parties that look weak,
skulls include several humans, elves, and dwarves, a
negotiate with parties that look strong, and betray
huge sewer rat’s skull, several wolves, a deer with a
either one at the first opportunity.
very impressive rack, the lower jaw of some fanged
beast (alisaur), and the stinger of a wyvern.

15
 None of these remains are in very good condition, The shrine has an unpleasant, dark feel to it and the
and few were actually killed by Greatshanks, al- shrine its self is cold and casts heavy shadows. There
though he’ll claim he even killed the dragon if asked. are blood stains on the stone block and scratches like
fingernails drug along the top and side. Any spells
27. THRONE ROOM. This area was mostly for show cast here have an 8- chance of their side effects going
when the two heroes lived in this complex, but it off even if cast successfully, and any spell without a
doubled as a ballroom which is what it was most of- side effect has an 8- chance of summoning a Lemure
ten used for. The floor is polished white and black if the magic is failed.
marble and the pillars are red granite, as are the
“thrones” on the east side of the room, and the raised Should the shrine be destroyed, the stone block
dais which the thrones are set on is white marble cleaned up, and the floor swept out revealing the sun
streaked with gold and black. In all the stone in this symbol, the person or persons doing so will receive
room is worth hundreds of gold, but is effectively a blessing of one overall level for 24 hours.
immobile.
29. STORE ROOM. This room was where all the ac-
The walls are set with brackets for tapestries but coutrements of the ballroom were kept when not in
none remain. Lighting the room are two huge en- use. Now it is a moldering stack of rotting and
chanted chandeliers made of cut glass (each ten foot crumbling benches, tapestries, decorations, and pad-
wide fixture weighing 350 pounds, but worth 45 ded chairs that is not used by the goblins. There is a
silver intact). When anyone enters the room the slight chance that Sneaksie will be in here, if so he
lights will illuminate the area, they can be com- will be concealed to be -6 to spot and wait for the
manded to extinguish, dim, or light, and can be set party to leave. Then he’ll follow them at a safe dis-
to not light when someone enters the room, but tance out of the reach of their lights and wait for an
there’s no one alive who knows how. opportune moment to steal something. See Sneak-
sie’s character sheet on page 30 for more on how he
The goblins use this room for celebrations, meet- operates.
ings, and Greatshanks uses it to impress visiting orcs
and other creatures with its grandeur. It does not 30. This room has a secret door that is difficult to spot
get a lot of use because there is not much reason to (-3 PER roll or -1 mechanics or traps roll), but when
celebrate for these goblins and they have few visi- the door is opened, there is nothing in the room. It
tors. appears to be an empty, slightly dusty twenty by
thirty foot room. The goblins aren’t even aware it
28. SHRINE. Neither of the heroes were particularly exists.
pious, but they had a priest friend so they built a
very simple shrine here. The goblin shaman Rattle- A mechanics or traps roll by 3 will spot that the door
skull has set up a shrine to his demon in this area in indicated in the northwest by north section exists
the place of the old shrine of light. The floor is gray and can be opened somehow, but there is no way it
slate and carved with a sun design, although dirt and can be opened from this room. When all the vault
dust have filled in the lines and it is difficult to dis- sequence on this floor is finished, this door opens
cern. The walls were limed white, but over time and the stairs to the lower level is revealed beyond a
that has faded and corroded so that a mottled filthy short hallway.
grayish color coats the walls and ceiling now.
31. POOL ROOM. This is the largest room on the
The center of the room has a block of white marble upper level, and is quite different from all the oth-
with black and gold streaks through it (like the dais ers. In the irregularly shaped confines are fourteen
in area 27) On this is built a shrine of bones, ten foot wide shallow pools. The floor is inlaid with
leather, rocks, and blackened wood at which Rattle- a mosaic of gold, white, and black ceramic tiles that
skull sacrifices small creatures, infant goblins, and still are intact. The floor has a geometric pattern but
goods he finds on visitors to his demon god. it does not signify anything.

16
Each pool is three feet deep, shaped like a wide shal- D: Crystal Sludge - A large, weak and hungry crystal
low bowl. Each one has different contents in it, la- sludge lies in this pool, looking like slightly
beled A through N: opaque clear goop that lines the pool, but does not
fill it, a uniform foot deep. The Sludge is en-
A: Pool of Healing - the pinkish liquid in this pool chanted so that it cannot leave the pool, but it will
heals D6 body when ingested, one per day. How- attack anything that touches it or is poked over or
ever, if someone is immersed in the pink goo, they into the pool area. In the center of the pool is a
are healed for 5D6 as if normal damage once per large keyhole which is the last part of the vault
three phases for a full turn. This effect will work sequence on this level. Once the key from pool B
on any character who is dead but has their soul is used on this keyhole, a distant grinding and me-
intact (died within an hour or has been lifekept with chanical sound is heard. The party has two min-
some herb or spell). The goblins know of the first utes to get from this pool to area 30 and past the
property, but not the second. now-open door to where a lever is set in the wall
B: Acid Pool - The liquid here is clear and slightly which will force the door to stay open until it is
fizzy, giving off a metallic scent. Anything im- put into the lower position again. Once two min-
mersed in the liquid or splashed with it suffers a utes is up, the door closes and the vault sequence
1D6 armor piercing defense drain and a 3D6 pene- resets.
trating energy attack per phase of immersion. E: Drinking Pool - This pool is continually refreshed
When immersion ends, the effects are halved and with crystal clear icy cold spring water of wonder-
take effect in four seconds once more, then in four ful flavor and refreshing character. Even if some-
more seconds a 1D6 penetrating attack takes thing filthy is thrown in, within a day the water is
place. A very large ceramic key, eight inches long, pure and clean again.
is lying in the center of the pool, barely visible F: Pool of Wine - This pool is filled with deep red
through the liquid. It is unharmed by the acid, as wine of very fine quality. It smells and looks like
is any glassy substance, but anything else poked wine, and tastes like the very finest of wines.
into the pool will suffer its full effects. Unlike most other pools here this wine may be
C: Pool of Sickness - This pool is filled with a murky bottled and removed, retaining its virtues. There
gray syrup. If any amount of it is consumed, the are twenty gallons of wine in this pool.
victim will begin to feel ill in half an hour. The
victim then suffers 1D6 drain to all their stats -
primary and secondary - one an hour for one day,
recovering once every day.

17
G: Dry Pool - This pool appears to be dry, but is in M: Treasure Pool - This basin is filled with normal
fact filled with water that has been enchanted to be water, and appears to have piles of cash on the
invisible. It is water in every other way, it simply bottom, mixed with sparkling jewels. However,
has no smell, taste, or appearance. If removed the loot is not real, it is an image of the treasure
from the pool, the invisible water becomes normal vault below.
water within a minute. N: Pool of Muting - This pool is almost empty, only
H: Hot Pool - This pool also holds water, but it is a small amount of water remains near the bottom.
boiling hot. The pool steams and rolls with heat, If any is drank, the victim becomes completely
although the steam dissipates magically and the mute, unable to make any sounds whatsoever with
room is not affected by it. There is a whitish crust their voice for D6 hours. While this is in effect,
of minerals built up around the edges of the pool the GM should remember that character is unable
from minerals in the water. It is heated continu- to communicate normally.
ally to boiling temperature, and if removed will
cool down normally but will not change from be- Unless specially noted, all liquids presented above
ing water. lose their magical properties when moved ten feet
I: Aura Pool - This pool of shimmering water seems from their pool of origin.
to have a slightly rainbow sheen on the surface,
but not as pronounced as if it were oily. If drank, 32. DESIGN ROOM. The door to this room is hid-
the water grants Aura Vision for a full day. Each den, discernable only with a -1 mechanics roll or a -
person will only gain this magical effect once in 2 sight perception or traps roll. It is opened by
their lifetime but the liquid retains its magic even pressing two mosaic tiles on either side of the door
if removed. at the same time. The floor and walls of this room
J: Pool of Sleep - This pool is a purplish liquid, its are the same tiled mosaic pattern as the Pool Room.
depths slightly swirling with streamers of darker
color. The liquid has no smell or taste, and if any Within this room are tables, chairs, and a shelf with
is drank it will cause the character to fall asleep. scrolls and stacks of old paper. The tables are cov-
They will stay asleep for 24 straight hours regard- ered with dried ink wells, pencils, dried erasers and
less of any treatment or magic used on them, mi- ink pens, as well as papers. Scribbles are all over
nus 1 hour per point of Ego the character has. papers stacked everywhere, most of them geometric
K: Fish Pool - This pool has several small colorful patterns and sketches of rooms, but a few have
fish in it, and its only magic is that the pool stays pieces of maps, different suggested layouts and tun-
clean and the fish stay healthy without food or at- neling designs for Quasqueton. As a result they will
tention. If a fish is caught or scooped out, it van- not look like the present layout of the complex, and
ishes after thirty seconds and reappears in the characters might have a difficult time understanding
pool. what they are looking at. An INT roll at -2 will
L: Ice Pool - This pool steams constantly and the air piece the sketches and schematics together as being
nearby is very cold. The liquid inside appears to proposed expansions, changes, and additions to the
be solid underneath very light, almost gaseous liq- dungeon by some designer named Marevek, whose
uid; like a whitish rock that constantly emits cold signature is at the bottom of several.
vapors. It is dry ice - frozen carbon dioxide - and
is very dangerous to anything placed in it. Any Under one of the tables is a strongbox that is set into
object introduced to the liquid CO2 immediately the floor. It is locked (and the key is long lost) and
suffers a 2D6 NND full damage killing attack and trapped. Unless the trap is found and disarmed (-1
any rigid or hard object suffers a further 3D6 de- to traps roll), the device within fires off a powerful
fense drain . It also feels hot, although it is in fact electrical charge, causing anyone touching the box
extremely cold. The dry ice can be broken off and with a conductive item (such as a hand or lockpick)
carried away in chunks but it rapidly melts into gas to suffer 5D6 normal damage and incinerating the
when distant from the magic of the pool. contents.

18
 The lock of this box is -3 to pick, but within is a full 36. UTILITY ROOM: This extra room was unused
map of the present Quasqueton (showing the secret but it has special features. The first is that Sneaksie
doors and door at the vault) and a sheet of paper giv- has hidden anything he’s stolen from the party in
ing basic clues to the vault sequence. Also inside are here. He has a stash hidden under a loose stone in
bank notes that would have allowed someone hun- the floor in the eastern side where the room nar-
dreds of years ago to draw money off the accounts of rows. It is visible with a -2 sight PER roll or a level
the two heroes, but those accounts have long been of luck roll, and opens easily. Within the hidden
closed. At the bottom of the chest is a Scroll of Deci- stash are a bag with 3D6 copper in it and a garnet
pher. The box its self is secured to the floor with worth D6+6 silver, a silver chain worth 4D6 cop-
heavy bolts and has 5 defense and 3 body, hardened. per, and a dagger that used to be used by Rattleskull
Any damage to the box will set off the trap. in his sacrifices until he killed one of Sneaksie’s pet
rats with it. The dagger is not very useful in combat
33. BARRACKS. This room once held the men at (it is more like a fancy letter opener than a weapon)
arms and guards of the strong hold, with forty co- but if cleaned up would sell for 15 copper.
mon beds twenty tables, a scattering of chairs and
stools, tables, and a few chest of drawers and foot- The other feature is a pit trap at the end of the
lockers. The room has been emptied of anything but nearby hall to the east. There is a false door set in
furniture, but this room might have Sneaksie in it as the north wall above the pit trap, and when the knob
well, concealed to be -5 PER to spot. Again he will is tried, the pit trap triggers. The trap is visible with
try to follow the group once they leave and rob them a -3 sight perception roll or a -2 mechanics or traps
at his first opportunity. roll. It consists of a 20x10 foot section of the floor
that splits in half and swings downward, dumping
Under a pile of junk and broken furniture is a pile of everything on that area into the area beneath. The
17 bluish crystals that are worth only D6 copper bottom of the pit is 40 feet below but is full of wa-
each but look valuable. These once were set in vari- ter, room 50 of the lower level. The pool is deep
ous key points in the dungeon and gave light. enough that no one will hit bottom, but all will take
2D6 from the fall because the water is still rather
34. ARMORY. This irregularly shaped room was hard from that height.
originally where the arms and armor were stored. It
has been cleared of weapons long ago, and now is an Once the trap has triggered, it closes again after
assortment of stands, pegs, shelves, and brackets to thirty seconds, leaving the floor appearing solid and
hold the various equipment long removed. The safe once more. The door at the end of the hallway
room was designed to double as a hallway, so that is cemented to the wall and does not open.
the soldiers from 33 could equip on their way out to
face whatever they needed to during the day. 37. RECREATION ROOM. The door to this room is
also locked, -1 to pick it. This is another of Sneak-
35. GUEST CHAMBER. All three of these rooms are sie’s rooms, and he may be present on an 8- roll.
identical, set up to accommodate a guest or pair of
guests in style. The furniture is in fairly good shape, At the far west end of the room are wooden targets,
although anything small enough to move out has some still bearing arrows jutting from them (old and
been. The only difference between the three is that useless arrows). There is a line drawn on the floor
the north-most room’s door is locked (-1 to pick) just west of the door where archers could stand and
and has its furniture intact. The bed has a feather fire at the targets, a short distance, but good for
mattress, the table has candles and dinnerware on it, friendly competition. A few empty quivers are stuck
and so on. Sneaksie uses this room to sleep in and is to the walls, as are brackets and suggestions that
here on an 8- chance, hiding with a -6 PER roll to other items were once hung from them earlier.
find him. He does not have a key to the door, he There are two heavy benches and a heavy woven mat
just picks it every time he wants in or out. that acts somewhat like padding for wrestling in the
center of the room.

19
 Sneaksie has another stash hidden in here, behind KNVDQÅKDUDKÅDMBNTMSDQÅ@QD@RÅ
NVDQÅKDUDKÅDMBNTMSDQÅ@QD@RÅ
one of the targets. This target can be swung away
from the wall after a catch is pulled behind the SGDÅU@TKSÅ
SGDÅU@TKSÅ
wood, revealing a small pocket carved out of the This entire area is only accessible by a complex series
wood containing 32 chess pieces of white and black of separate devices activated in order on the upper
stone worth 1 sp each, and a Potion of Health. level. Once they have all been activated, the stairs to
this area are revealed and the vault can be reached.
That’s it for the upper level. The lower level is acces- This is where the greatest treasures that Rogahn and
sible only at three points: the pit in area 19, the trap at Zeligar left behind on their final adventure are still to
area 35, and the vault door in area 30. The vault its be found. Of course, they took their most powerful
self is isolated from the rest of the bottom level. and useful items with them.

SGDÅKNVDQÅKDUDKÅ
SGDÅKNVDQÅKDUDKÅ 38. VAULT ENTRY AREA. This area is a museum of
sorts, set up to commemorate the lives of Zeligar
The lower level of the dungeon is about the same size and Rogahn.
as the upper level, directly underneath it. If you line
up both maps, the exits to the lower level on the upper The west wall is a sectioned fresco showing various
level will match their entry points on the lower level. events and deeds from the life of Rogahn, and the
several views pictured are: a young boy raising a
Unlike the upper level, almost all of the lower level is sword, a young man slaying a wild boar, a warrior
made up of limestone caves that are rough and unfin- carrying off a dead barbarian, and a hero in the midst
ished. A crew went through and smoothed and of a large battle hacking barbarian foes to pieces.
cleaned the caves up so they are not as ragged and
spiked with stalagmites as they once were, but there The east wall is a similar sectioned fresco showing
was no other work done except in the vault area. cameos from the life of Zelligar: a boy gazing up-
ward at a starry night sky, a young man diligently
Although the floors are not marked with elevations, studying a great tome, an earnest magician changing
they rarely are flat and even, sometimes varying as water to wine before a delighted audience, and a
much as several feet in a single room. The whole area powerful wizard casting a type of death fog over an
is natural cave and is slightly damp and dank. There enemy army from a hilltop.
are no lights except as noted in the text. Any encoun-
ter marked with a * is unique and can only be met The north wall section is unfinished, but several sec-
once (either in its lair or randomly). tions of frescoes show the two great men together:
shaking hands for the first time in younger days,
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS winning a great battle against barbarians in a hill
ROLL RESULT No. pass, gazing upward together from the wilderness to
2 Direfang* 1
a craggy rock outcropping (recognizable to the ad-
venturers as the place where the stronghold was
3 Venom Hopper D2 built), with a fourth space blank.
4 Alisaur* 1
5 Megapede D3 Next to the frescoes are other mementoes from the
past: a parchment letter of thanks for help in the war
6 Swarmwings 2D6
against the barbarians from a prominent landowner,
7 Junk Flies 2D6 a barbarian curved sword, and a skeleton of the bar-
8 Spiderling D3 barian chief (so identified by a wall plaque in the
9 Cloud Beetle 1 Morianic). There is more blank space on the wall,
apparently for further additions to the room's collec-
10 Hunter Bat 1
tion of items. The frescoes are painted and they can-
11 Troglodyte D2 not be removed. None of the mementoes are of any
12 Goblins D3 particular worth or value.

20
 The room shows signs of construction, there are • A hauberk of Felstone chainmail
supplies stacked about the room, mining equipment, • A Wand of Magery
rock carts, wooden supports, and so forth, stored in • 3 Healing Potions
the room. The room is clearly unfinished, as there • A Throwing Hammer of x
are large spaces with nothing in them and the tiles on • A Mithril and Naurithil mirror
the floor are not completely covering the whole
room. The Vault has crystal lights which light up as anyone
enters, giving off a slightly bluish but pleasant glow.
The room area to the south is where the last Vault If any of these are removed they lose their enchant-
protection is built. Against the far west wall is the ment and become simple blue crystals worth D6
apparently dead husk of a huge lobster, over ten feet copper each.
long from claw to the tip of its tail. The eyes are
clouded over and empty, and it is motionless. In SGDÅB@UDQMRÅNEÅPT@RPTDSNMÅ
SGDÅB@UDQMRÅNEÅPT@RPTDSNMÅ
each claw, barely visible, is a large key. A -1 sight These areas were not worked or explored very care-
perception roll will spot the keys. fully even when Rogahn and Zelligar were present.
Now they have been taken over by various monsters
The door to area 30 is closed and made of iron. It who came for shelter, food, curiosity, or just for a
has two conspicuous key holes in it and no handle or place to live through the cave in area 56.
any visible means of opening. The keys in the lob-
sters’ claws open the door. The lobster, however, is 40. SECRET CAVERN. This area has been closed off
undead and as soon as anyone draws within ten feet and hidden, the rock cleverly formed and designed
will immediately attack. It will follow the party any- so that it looks like an ordinary cave wall without a
where they go, but will not leave the dungeon’s two successful sight perception roll at a -2 penalty.
levels. Once the creature is dead, it falls to compo- Within this cave Rogahn found silver veins and had
nent chitinous parts and the keys can be taken from the hope of finding Mithril, but he did not want any
its motionless claws. The undead Brawn Lobster can of the workers in the complex to be aware of the
be found on page 31 in the NPC section after the lode. Working with Zelligar, he concealed this area,
encounter areas. and now it can only be opened with a mining pick
pushed into a small gap and levered which releases a
30. VAULT. The vault is a large room, forty feet by catch. The door opens easily from the inside.
twenty that is set with white marble tiles. There are
marble shelves on the walls in two layers upon which Within the room are a few loose rocks, some piled
various items of value are stored. In the middle of timbers and mining equipment, and the beginnings
the room is a raised area upon which iron boxes are of a few test digs in the walls. Any character with
laid. mining or geology skill will recognize that there is
ore in the south wall, but it will take a lot of work to
In the iron boxes are coins: three boxes of copper get it out. The lode here will produce 75 sp worth
containing 250 copper total, and one box of silver of ore before tapering out to nothing, taking 6 weeks
containing 25 silver total. of hard work to dig out.

On the shelves are the following items: 41. CAVERN. This cave is little more than a widening
• A golden medallion worth 20 sp in the road, but is distinct because of the floor. The
• A Star Iron Dagger of Accuracy entire cave is sunk in the center, formed like a V
• A pouch with 4 moonstones worth 5D6 sp total shape, with the center lowest point twenty feet
• A scroll with Dervish, Airy Warding, and Breathe lower than the entry and exit tunnels. The floor is
• A Ring of Warding slick and coated with minerals, which makes it diffi-
• A silver medallion and chain worth 15 sp cult to cross safely. Any attempt to cross through
• An Onyx statue worth 20 sp this room requires a DEX or climbing roll
(whichever is better). This roll is penalized by 1 for
• A Beasthide x shield
every 2” speed of movement the characters travel.
• A crystal goblet inscribed Quasqueton worth 12 sp

21
 Failure results in the character falling and sliding to 43. WATER CAVERN. This entire cave is sub-
the bottom of the room and suffering D3+1 (2-4) of merged, as the passage leading to it slants rapidly
normal, physical D6 damage. This damage should downward. The dotted line on the map shows the
also be assessed to any brittle objects in the charac- point at which there is no air in the cave. This water
ter’s possession (such as potion bottles). slowly replenishes from an deeper water source
seeping up from cracks in the bottom of the cave.
42. WEBBED CAVE. The entrance to this cave is This water cavern serves as the water source for the
sealed off by loose, old webs that still are quite southern caves, and the GM should treat a 1 or 2 as
sticky. The webs act as a 4 defense, D6 entangle to an encounter in this cave due to the traffic it gets
anything that touches them as can be seen by the des- from thirsty locals.
iccated husks of a Sewer Rat and a Megapede stuck
in the strands. The webs burn easily, having half the Within the water cave is a set of mineral crystals that
defense vs fire. have formed over the centuries from the water, ex-
truded and grown from the cracks that supply water
Beyond the webs are older cobwebs that are not to the cave. These crystals will sell for 4D6 copper
sticky and are covered with dust. These webs do not each to any alchemist, painter, or glass worker, and
hinder movement, but hang as streamers from the there are 3D6 of them on the cave floor. However,
ceiling and coat the walls in loose strands until the divers will have to brave the amazingly cold water
larger cave is reached. There the webs coat the floor (temperature level -1) and lack of air to harvest
in thick patterns that rise toward the south until they them, and each crystal takes D3+3 turns to recover,
reach the ceiling. In the middle of the cave is a huge assuming the characters have a pick or similar mining
figure, a spider that almost is the width of the entire implement.
cave. The spider is dead, but that will not be ini-
tially obvious, and it will do a 5D6 passive presence 44. LIZARD CAVE. This cave is where the Alisaur
attack just by shaking slightly when the players bump lives. This creature is usually encountered only deep
webs. in the earth, but it was captured in an adventure by
the elf who died in area 42 and while it escaped the
However, although the mother spider is long dead, spider, it was trapped in these caves and grew up
her progeny are not. They live inside her abdomen, here. It wanders looking for food (and can be met as
and when characters come close enough to tell that a random encounter), but if it has not been encoun-
the gigantic Cave Spider is dead, the children tered yet, it will be in this cave. There are bits of
emerge from between plates and sections of her exo- bone, castoffs, and even bits of feathers from birds it
skeleton (some from her mouth). There are 2 Spi- caught at the exit cave (area 56). If present, the Ali-
derlings here for each 3 characters present, and they saur will be asleep on an 11- roll, but it has light-
attack immediately with ravenous hunger. sleep and will awaken rapidly with the approach of
anyone who is not stealthy.
Behind the webbing, under the large spiderweb in
the back of the cave is the web-wrapped skeleton of Should anyone come as close as area 45 and the Ali-
an elf. This elf has a Robe of Protection and two scrolls saur is awake it probably will hear them (-3 hearing
on him: Greater Heal and Travelhut. If the webs in the perception, plus any bonus for the noise characters
cave are burned, it will do significant damage to and are making such as armor, talk, spells, etc). It will
likely kill the spiderlings, but it will also destroy the crawl out an investigate, hoping for a more solid
skeleton and all his belongings. meal than spiderlings and megapedes. The Alisaur is
able to cling to walls and will use that to gain sur-
prise or a tactical advantage if possible. It will use its
roar if it hears something it cannot see.

If any of the characters speaks elencal to the Alisaur

or nearby it, it will hesitate a half phase the first time
from an old familiarity, and will only attack that
character if they first attack.
22
 In the back of this cave is a jeweled leather collar 46. SUNKEN CAVERN. This small cavern is at the
that is broken and so old the leather is cracked, once bottom of a steeply downward sloping passage that
it was around the Alisaur’s neck. The old collar is becomes lower and lower until it is only 4 feet in
ruined, but the small gems are worth 33 copper. height, including the cave it ends. Within this cave
live Megapedes, and while many are out looking for
45. CAVERN OF THE MYSTICAL STONE. This food (and thus can be random encounters), there are
strange stone predates the arrival of Zelligar and Ro- as many Megapedes in this room as there are PCs.
gahn, and it was left alone because of its unpredict-
able nature. 47. CAVERN. This cave has strange bluish minerals
shot through the stone which an herbalist might rec-
The stone is a faintly glowing crystalline structure in ognize as Horlost, a very rare mineral-based herb.
granite that is most similar to mica, in brittle layers There are only 2 doses of the mineral here.
jutting from the harder stone. It is somewhat purple
or pink and seems to be lit from within. The stone is 48. ARENA CAVERN. This cave has been heavily
part of the cave and cannot be moved (if somehow it worked on and expanded compared to the rest of the
was removed, it would lose its magic). One chip of caves. It is unfinished but the step work carved into
the crystal can be broken away at a time, but one a the sides and the pit area are clearly marked out and
piece is broken off it is impervious to further damage started: this was to be an amphitheater or arena.
until that chip is used. Only ten pieces of the crystal Each step is five feet wide and three feet deep, and a
can be broken free per day in any case. rough slope from the entry provides access all the
way to the pit, which is five feet deep and partially
Once a chip is removed, it begins to lose its internal filled with sand.
glow and in a minute it becomes a simple piece of
mica (at which point another piece can be broken The Troglodytes from areas 49-51 will settle dis-
off). Each person can only be affected once in their putes in this room, so on an 8- there will be two un-
life by the crystal, and it takes effet by placing the armed troglodytes beating on each other with their
chip in their mouth, at which point it dissolves. Roll fists in the pit area, their weapons set aside on the
on the table below for the exact effect on the PC: stone step above the pit on the far side from the en-
try. They will be so engaged with their combat that
ROLL RESULT
they are -2 PER to spot intruders.
3 Teleports character to area 42 beyond barrier
4 Drains 3D6 from one random stat, recover/5 min 49. PHOSPHORESCENT CAVE. This cavern has an
5 +1 OCV and DCV, permanently
odd purplish mold in streaks on the walls and ceiling
that interacts with the local minerals to produce a
6 +1 Dexterity, permanently natural, dim glow. The glow is especially pro-
7 +1 Constitution, permanently nounced back in the secondary cave to the east,
8 +1 Strength, permanently which is liberally coated with the slightly slimy
mold.
9 Heals all damage, impairment, disabling, etc
10 +1 Presence, permanently This mold is harmless, and will retain its glow for an
11 +2 Comeliness, permanently hour after being rubbed from the wall. It is treated
with religious awe by the troglodytes, however, and
12 +1 Intelligence, permanently
they have set up a shrine in the eastern sub cave. A
13 +1 Ego, permanently pile of rocks and skulls is heaped in the center and
14 +1 Body, permanently surrounding it are shiny stones, bits of food, bones,
and a few copper coins (2D6 total). A few of the
15 +5 Stun, permanently
shiny rocks are actually semi precious metals, which
16 +1” running speed permanently someone with the appropriate skill would recognize
17 Curse: 1 month of x2 effect from presence attacks as 2D6 gems worth 3D6 copper each. The air in this
second cave is very clean, fresh, and sweet.
18 Blinds character D6 hours

23
 Also in the sub cave is a Cloud Beetle, which makes 52. RAISED CAVERN. This cave is actually twenty
its presence known immediately by the pleasant air. feet off the floor of the Bat Cave (area 53) and is dif-
The beetle is happy here, but it won’t attack anyone ficult to spot without being within twenty feet of the
if moved and fed. If the beetle is not fed regularly entrance (-2 sight PER rolls). It is a shallow cave
with pieces of meat, it will wander back to this cave with a ceiling only 5’ in height, and within it lives
on its own as soon as it can. the Hunter Bat of the caves. This bat is the king of
the Swarmwings in area 53, and it fears nothing.
If any troglodyte sees the Cloud Beetle with anyone
they will attack with furious rage (+1 OCV, -1 Clever characters, unhappy with the cramped quar-
DCV) at their shrine being desecrated. ters of the Raised Cavern might retreat to the Bat
Cave to fight the Hunter Bat, but that is not tatically
50. WATER CAVE. This cave is the water source for sound. With the first scream of the Hunter Bat,
the northern caves. It also is where the large pit trap 2D6 Swarmwings will also attack the party from the
in area 36 on the upper level drops any characters ceiling nearby, reducing their DCV for the Hunter
unfortunate enough to be caught. The pool is eight Bat (which is immune to their cry) to take advantage
feet deep and filled with very cold water, -1 tem- of. In the back of the Raised Cave is the Hunter
perature level. Anyone immersed in the cave suffers Bat’s home, and in the guano, bones, and cast off fur
these temperature effects for a full hour after getting there are growing D6 Sfalen mushrooms.
out. It is fed by a spring from beneath and continu-
ally is refreshed. 53. BAT CAVE. This cave is huge, with an arching,
high ceiling twenty five feet up and a layer of guano
The GM should always check for a random encoun- on the floor almost a foot deep. The cave is so huge
ter in this cave, with a 1 or 2 resulting in an encoun- that characters cannot see the sides except near
ter. If the roll is 2, then it is always 1-2 troglodytes. where they are, it is wider than two city blocks.
A Trogg Ball calls this area home and always is pre-
sent. It will attack anything climbing out of the wa- There are hundreds of bats living here, including
ter but will not attack anything entering the cave scores of Swarmwings mixed in the midst.
unless it is disturbed or its lair west of the pool is Megapedes feed on the bats, and ordinary rats feed
entered. on the castoff from the Swarmwings and the insects
that feed on the guano. It is a self-sustaining ecosys-
51. TROGLODYTE CAVE. Some might ask how tem as the ordinary bats eat the flying insects and
Troglodytes got in here, but they are fungal crea- leave each night to hunt outside.
tures and they can be carried on the wind or fur of
other creatures until they reach an area that is suit- Growing in the room are dozens of gigantic mush-
able for their growth. A small colony of the crea- rooms that an herbalist will easily identify as
tures lives in this cave, Totaling 5. However, at any Madarkh and Lammang, both medicinal herbs.
time some are out gathering water, hunting, or at There are 2D6+2 doses of Lammang and D6 doses
the shrine, so only D3 will be present when the PCs of Madarkh mature enough to harvest growing in the
arrive. These troglodytes have managed to obtain guano here.
metal spears, daggers, and shields from the first gob-
lins who explored the cave, and will use them The bats keep to themselves, although any distur-
against intruders. bance such as light or movement and sound will
cause a few to dislodge and flit about in the cave.
The same goblins had some treasure, which has been Any very loud noise, such as combat, an area effect
piled up on a raised mineral deposit in the south of spell, or any side effect involving loud bangs will
the cave. Much of the copper has been sacrificed to dislodge scores of bats and attract the attention of
the shrine at area 49, but D6+1 still remain here. 2D6 Swarmwings, who will come and attack the
Two of the blue crystals (worth D6 copper each) party. The ordinary bats are not much of a threat,
from the upper area’s lighting system are here as although they will act as a continuous 5 strength
well. pressure that must be defeated each phase to move
or retain held objects.
24
 There is a secret door to the west set up by Zeligar 55. CAVERN OF THE SCALES. This very large cav-
to protect their old vault (the treasure cave) and it is ern is quite low for its size, the roof an average seven
difficult to find now because of all the guano. The feet, but as low as five in some places and as high as
wall here slopes heavily inward, almost gradual eight feet. The entire room reeks heavily of snake
enough to climb, and it is heavily streaked and de- and the floor is littered with broken and scraped
posited with bat poo. Thus, the door is -4 sight per- scales as big as the palm of a man’s hand.
ception to find, but still opens easily after all these
decades by twisting a stone projection. The reason for this is that Direfang, the giant ser-
pent, lives in this cave. Direfang is a mutant two-
The southwest section of the cave with multiple headed snake of fearsome power that the goblins en-
stone pillars is remarkable for its lack of bats and countered and decided was a good reason to avoid
thus guano. However, this is where 2D6 of the the caves entirely. It will be sleeping most of the
cave’s Megapedes live (the rest are out eating or ex- time, so if it has not been encountered already it will
ploring). The Megapedes live on the stone pillars, be here in the north most projection of the cave,
twining around them and will drop from the fifteen curled up and asleep on a 14- chance.
to twenty-five foot ceiling onto intruders.
Direfang can smell intruders, but asleep its percep-
54. TREASURE CAVE. This was where the pair of tion roll is reduced by 5 and it will likely not notice
heroes kept their treasures before the vault was in- anyone until they draw very close. For Direfang’s
stalled. It still has a few items but has been aban- stats, consult the NPC section on page 27. When
doned as insufficiently secure after it was robbed by the goblins made one effort to kill the beast, they
an audacious thief who they later hired as a member had help from some orcs and a shaman, with a few
of their adventuring band. enchanted items. These items are still in the cave,
crushed into the sand beneath where Direfang
The secret doors to areas 53 and 55 are easy enough sleeps.
to spot and open from the access corridor here, but
the one that leads to 54 is not as easy to find. It is The treasure consists of a breastplate of scale mail
not actually a door, it is a portion of rock enchanted made from Urgash hide and star iron, a Targeting
to allow someone to step through it like thin clay or Blood Iron heavy mace, and a Mage Charm. There are
some odd stony membrane. If anyone leans on or other, broken and torn mundane pieces of armor
pushes on the wall, it will be initially hard, then give and weapons here, but they are destroyed and of no
way, allowing the stone to be penetrated. Thus use.
someone can push themselves through and step be-
yond the barrier. This is difficult to sense, requiring The secret door leading to the Treasure Cave is eas-
either a level of luck or -2 touch perception roll at ier to spot here than in area 53, because the thief
the point of the doorway. jammed a chip of quartz into the joint where the
stone projection you turn to open the door and it is a
Inside the Treasure Cave its self are two statues as straight perception roll to find and spot the door-
shown on the map that were once enchanted to way.
come to life and attack intruders and thieves. One is
missing a head, the other an arm. The enchantment There is fresh air and even some sunlight (in the day)
is now long dissipated, but they still look very life- coming in from area 56 to this cave, so the smell of
like. snake is not overpowering.

On the floor are scattered 3D6+6 copper, D6+2

silver, and seven gems worth 2D6 silver each. This
is all that remains of what treasure was once stored
here.

25
56. EXIT. There is a cave exit here that leads to the SGDÅU@TKSÅRDPTDMBDÅ
GDÅU@TKSÅRDPTDMBDÅ
outside. Here the bats leave to hunt and eat, here
fresh air enters the caves, and here several of the Opening the treasure vault of Rogahn and Zelligar is a
creatures entered to live in the caves, such as Dire- complex and time consuming process. The exact se-
fang. The exit is small, only thee feet high by five quence and location of each of the parts is scattered
feet wide, and leads to a two foot stone ledge over a through the upper level of the complex and can be a
thirty foot drop to the wilderness. A very large Elm bit of trouble to dig out, so here is the entire sequence
tree grows in the hollow of stone here, blocking all in order:
view of the cave from the outside, and from below
the ledge blocks off any view of the cave as well. 1. Tilt the third book in the Annex (area 7)
2. Correctly put all switches at the lower position in
Standing on the cave reveals that this is a northward the Char Room (area 17) - door will not open un-
facing cliff as part of a massive stone outcropping til the sequence is started
that forms part of the hill which Quasqueton’s tower 3. Pull up the metal bar in the Garden (area 23)
was built upon and the complex was built within. 4. Rotate the R set in Rogahn’s bed in his room (area
The stone is +2 to climbing rolls to go up the 25)
twenty feet to smoother grassy hillside or down to 5. Use the key from the acid pool (B) in the keyhole
the forest floor. in the sludge pool (D) in the Pool Room (area 31)
6. The vault access opens for 1 minute (area 30)
57. LAIR OF THE FLIES. Here is where the pit in area 7. Use the keys from the undead lobster in the Vault
19 of the first floor exits. The cave is fifteen feet Door (area 39)
tall, so the exit of the pit is high above the cave floor 8. Profit
and is usually covered by wood by frightened gob-
lins. There is a mural in area 5 and a detailed set of instruc-
tions in area 32 that can help the players work out how
The cave its self is very rounded and smoothed, the vault works. If the option “Treasure Hunt” from
showing a great deal of work and effort. Although the Adventure Hooks on page 2 is used, then the play-
the walls are irregular, the floor and ceiling has been ers will at least know there is a time limit once the fi-
smoothed and are relatively flat. This room stinks, nal step is completed, and the mural suggests time is
as it is used as a refuse dump by the goblins (they significant.
toss stuff down the pit) and it has been infested with
Junk Flies. Two of the flies per player character in The GM should not help the party in any way to figure
the party are present, and they attack as soon as any out this puzzle, as it is a fairly safe and easy manner to
light or sound enters the room (such as someone obtain a great deal of treasure. There are only two
climbing down the hole from area 19 above). battles that must be waged with monsters in order to
get the vault open (the sludge and the undead Brawn
Outside this room in the hall is a large statue of a Lobster), which means the challenge must be the diffi-
man, roughly sculpted from a stone pillar that stood culty of the puzzle. If characters are perceptive and
in the hall. The work is incomplete and stone chips clever enough this will not be a terrible challenge, but
litter the floor, useful for sling stones. if they are sloppy, unobservant, and disinterested they
may never get in the vault, nor should they.

26
MOBRÅNEÅSGHRÅ@CUDMSTQDÅ
OBRÅNEÅSGHRÅ@CUDMSTQDÅ DIREFANG Giant Animal
Val Char Cost Roll Notes
Most of the encounters in this adventure are standard 30* STR 0 15- Lift 1600kg: 6D6
14 DEX 12 12- OCV: 5 DCV: 3*
monsters and require no special information to run 23 CON 26 14-
beyond what is given in the bestiary used (preferably 18* BOD 8 13-
the Jolrhos Bestiary, available online for free). 5 INT -5 10- PER Roll: 11-/13-
5 EGO -10 10- EGO Roll: 10- ECV: 2
23/38 PRE 13 14- PRE Attack: 4 1/2D6
The goblins are standard goblins, although a bit more
10 COM 0 11-
brutish and crude than most. These goblins paint their
faces with lurid colors and designs, wear furs and 8 PD 6 Total: 13 (5 rPD)
feathers, and use stone weapons. Where most goblins 6 ED 1 Total: 9 (3 rED)
are bronze or iron age, these are stone age and very 3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12
7 REC 0
primitive, except for Sneaksie who is not from their 46 END 0
tribe. 37* STN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 57

The GM should take care to give encounters some Movement: Running: 9”/18”
character beyond yet another fight. The more person- Leaping: 0”
ality and individuality you can give a monster, the Cost Powers END
more interesting the game becomes for the players. 30 Giant: Growth (4 levels) -4” KB, +2 PER to 0
For instance, perhaps a group of goblins are not ini- be seen, +1” reach; Inherent, Persistent, 0
tially hostile and are instead interested in trading for END Cost, Always On (*)
15 Bite: HKA 1D6 (2D6 w/STR) 1
those nice weapons the characters have. They won’t 15 Second head Bite: HKA 1D6 (2D6 w/STR) 1
have much to offer (stone weapons, shiny rocks,
mouse skulls, or one of the lighting crystals), but they 6 Slither: Running +3” (9” total) 2
might try. 12 Scales: Armor 5 PD, 3 ED -
5 Strike: Stretching +1” (2” total) 1
2 Swimmer: Swimming +2” (4” total) 1
Perhaps one goblin is a clever tactician and uses the 5 Keen Tongue: Discriminatory Sense (smell) -
others for cover, stabbing from behind a rank of his 3 Keen Senses: Enhanced Perception +1 (all) -
fellows with the extra reach his spear gives. Maybe 4 Keen Tongue: Enhanced Perception +2 (smell) -
that Spiderling is a leaping spider, so it can jump fur- 5 Two Heads: 360 degree sense (sight) -
5 Heat Sight: Infrared Vision -
ther than the others.
-2 Leaping -2”
Any monster that is memorable (the characters keep
missing him, he hits the vitals several times in a fight, Total Powers & Skills Cost: 125
etc) should be kept alive by the GM if possible so he Total Cost: 182
can show up again and be recognized by the characters. PTS Disadvantages
Monsters don’t have to fight to the death, in fact most -15 Physical Limitation: Animal Intelligence
will try to flee if heavily damaged, hoping to survive -15 Physical Limitation: No Fine Manipulatory Ability
for a later revenge.
Total Disadvantage Points: -30
All creatures in the NPC section that have any special Direfang is a gigantic serpent with two heads. It has no poi-
treasure will have their gear detailed in the treasure son and cannot constrict to crush foes, but it will grab a foe
section following it. with one head and bite it into submission with the other,
then swallow the dead prey whole. Direfang is much like
any normal serpent except for its size and dual heads. He is
forty feet long and three feet across with a viper-like
snubbed head. Direfang’s scales are a dull gray and brown
mottled color without pattern. His hide provides 2 full suits
of beasthide armor if properly harvested.

27
GREATSHANKS Yrch Personality/Motivation: Greatshanks was once a brute, but
Val Char Cost Roll Notes has since calmed over time. Among orcs he’s just a funny
18 STR 8 13- Lift 320kg: 3 1/2D6 looking fellow orc, but among goblins Greatshanks is a
14 DEX 12 12- OCV: 5/6 DCV: 5 powerful and feared leader, so he prefers goblins. If possi-
15 CON 10 12- ble, Greatshanks likes to avoid a fight because his tribe is
11 BOD 2 11- still small and he cannot afford the casualties (and he’s lost
8 INT -2 11- PER Roll: 12- many trying to explore the lower level caves). Although not
8 EGO -4 11- EGO Roll: 11- ECV: 3 very smart, Greatshanks is fairly clever and will try to find
15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3D6 solutions that don’t endanger his tribe for any problems he
6 COM -2 10- faces.

8 PD 4 Total: 8 (2 rPD +6) Powers/Tactics: Like any orc, Greatshanks is tough and can
6 ED 3 Total: 6 (2 rED +4) fight without tiring long after other races have collapsed.
3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12 Greatshanks also has resistance to cold and heat, and are
7 REC 0 protected from draining magics. He speaks a little bit of
40 END 5 Morianic, and some of the local trade tongue unlike most of
30 STN 2 Total Characteristics Cost: 49 his kin.

Movement: Running: 8”/16” Greatshanks wears a suit of armor and wields a powerful
Leaping: 3 1/2”/7” weapon and can be dangerous to the player characters at this
power level. When he is with his bodyguard goblins and his
Cost Powers END pet Shakes, the encounter is significantly more troublesome.
4 Tireless: Strength 1/2 END Cost 1
3 Tireless: Running 1/2 END Cost 1 Campaign Use: Greatshanks is the boss of the upper level,
2 Tough: Damage Resistance 2 PD, 2 ED - the most dangerous encounter. He commands the goblins,
5 Night Eyes: Infrared Vision - and if Greatshanks dies, the goblins will be demoralized,
4 Swift: Running +2” (8” total) 1 frightened (fleeing combat rather than fighting back) and
3 Hardy: Life Support vs temperature extremes - within weeks will have all left Quasqueton.
10 Hardy: Power Defense 10 -
3 Keen Senses: Enhanced Perception +1 (all) - Appearance: Although not completely an orc, Greatshanks
looks much like one. He has huge, broad shoulders, shorter
Cost Skills and Talents legs, a large jaw with sharp teeth, and a beetling brow. His
3 Combat Skill Levels: OCV +1 with one weapon skin is a grayish green light color and his fingers are long
3 Survival 11- and clever like a goblin’s. His ears are longer and more
2 Language: local trade language (fluent conversation) pointed like goblins as well.
1 Language: Morianic (basic
conversation) Equipment: chain mail shirt
4 Weapon Familiarity: Common weapons Rogahn’s Crown
Greatshanks’ Axe
Total Powers & Skills Cost: 47 3D6 copper
Total Cost: 96 D6-1 silver
3D6 copper worth of cheap jewelry (armbands, earrings,
PTS Disadvantages rings, pendant)
Key to area 23
Total Disadvantage Points: -0 Key to chest in area 25

Ecology: Greatshanks is the leader of the Quasqueton Gob-

lins, although they refer to their tribe as the Gashfang Gob-
lins. Greatshanks is a huge goblin, standing over six feet tall
and with greater build and muscle than any ordinary one.
He actually has an orcish father, and while usually such chil-
dren are killed by the male goblins of a tribe (too big a com-
petitor when he grows up), Greatshanks’ mother hid him
away and lived by herself raising the young goblin until he
could care for himself. Greatshanks repaid her kindness by
beating her to death in an argument.

28
RATTLESKULL Yrch Personality/Motivation: Rattleskull is mostly motivated by
Val Char Cost Roll Notes gaining ever greater power. Ever since he sold his soul to a
10 STR 0 11- Lift: 100kg: 2D6 demon lord for power he’s become more sinister, cruel, and
13 DEX 9 12- OCV: 5 DCV: 7* treacherous even to his own people.
10 CON 0 11-
8 BOD -4 11- Powers/Tactics: As much as possible, Rattleskull prefers to
14 INT 4 12- PER Roll: 12- stay out of combat. Rattleskull is very skilled and powerful
11 EGO 2 11- EGO Roll: 11- ECV: 4 with magic compared to most Goblin Shaman, but is not any
13 PRE 3 12- PRE Attack: 2D6 sort of warrior and without his magic is very weak and no
10 COM 0 11- match for any adventurer. Thus, he will always have guards
with him, at least 2 armed with spear and shield and wearing
2 PD 2 Total: 2 (+4 rPD Bone Armor) a full suit of leather armor.
4 ED 2 Total: 4 (+4 rED Bone Armor)
3 SPD 6 Phases: 3, 6, 12 Rattleskull keeps Bone Armor on him at all times when
5 REC 2 awake and uses his magic to keep enemies away and disori-
22 END 0 ented, killing them while they are weak and helpless. If he
20 STN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 24 must flee, he will cast Bonewall (2PD, 5 DEF entangle bar-
rier) between himself and pursuit.
Movement: Running: 7/14”
Leaping: 3/6” Campaign Use: Rattleskull is a more significant threat than
Swimming: 2/4” the average goblin, adding magic into an encounter. Most
characters at this power level will not have run into many
Cost Powers END spellcasters, which will make a shaman a more significant
2 Swift: Running +1” (7” total) 1 encounter.
5 Night Vision: Infrared Vision -
5 Hardy: Power Defense 5 - Appearance: Rattleskull is even more skinny and has even
2 Keen Nose: Enhanced Perception +1 (smell) - more pointy and exaggerated features than ordinary goblins.
8 Small: Shrinking (1 level) +3” KB, -2 PER to be 0 He wears a very tall pointy hat to seem bigger and robes
seen) always on, 0 END, persistent, inherent (*) made of scraps of cloth stitched together with minimal skill,
20 Magic: 60 points of spells - decorated with skulls, feathers, leaves, dried paws of ani-
mals and goblin fingers. He uses a tall staff that is similarly
Cost Skills festooned with various primitive items and capped with a
11 Magic Skill: 16- crescent moon of silver that he found in Quasqueton and
2 Familiarity: Goblin weapons jammed into the top.
2 KS: Demonology 11-
3 Survival 12- Equipment: 2D6 copper
5 Herbalism 12- Potion of Healing
3 Poisons 12- Hand of Glory (20 body for casting necromantic spells)
3 Alchemy 12-
2 Language: Morianic, (fluent conversation) Magic: Rattleskull will cast the following spells in combat,
3 Persuasion 12- the GM should either roll or select a spell each phase:

Total Powers & Skills Cost: 72 ROLL SPELL RESULT

Total Cost: 96
2 Evil Eye Drain all stats, CV 1D6
PTS Disadvantages 3 Eyeblight Flash sight 3D6 expl selective

Total Disadvantage Points: -0 4 Feeble Drain STR 2D6

5 Muscle Cramp Entangle 1D6, 3Def vs con
Ecology: Rattleskull is a fairly typical Goblin Shaman,
trained by an older shaman before he left his tribe to join 6 Pestilence Breath Blast 4D6 NND disease cone
Greatshanks in his Gashfang tribe because it promised
7 Rain of Spiders Mhex 1/2D6 drain bod, KA
greater riches and status. So far Greatshanks’ caution has
not led them to great glory but he did manage to find a great 8 Curse of Vuln. Drain all defense 2D6 ranged
home for the tribe so things are looking up.
9 Painstorm Ego att 2D6 AE mental
Rattleskull runs the tribe as Greatshanks’ lieutenant and the (-1” run, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, 2”
goblins are all terrified of his magical ability. 10 Plague of Terror
radius); Drain PRE ½D6
11 Fear Mind Cont 8D6 fear telep.
12 Screaming Eyes Darkness 1”r vs sight

29
SNEAKSIE Yrch Powers/Tactics: Sneaksie will avoid combat if at all possi-
Val Char Cost Roll Notes ble, and will only fight as a way to get to a position he can
10 STR 0 11- Lift: 100kg: 2D6 flee from. However, he is a very stealthy little creature
17 DEX 21 12- OCV: 6 DCV: 8* (particularly with the -1 to perceive bonus of shrinking) and
11 CON 2 11- will use that plus his other skills to go places and get things
8 BOD -4 11- no one else can.
10 INT 0 11- PER Roll: 11-/12-
10 EGO -4 11- EGO Roll: 11- ECV: 3 Sneaksie will stay hidden if the PCs enter an area he is in or
10 PRE 0 11- PRE Attack: 2D6 he is resolved as a random encounter. Then he will follow
10 COM 0 11- the party as they move on, relying on his ability to see in the
dark, stealth, an superior knowledge of the complex to stay
3 PD 2 Total: 3 (1 rPD) close but not be discovered. Then, when the party rests, sets
4 ED 2 Total: 4 (1 rPD) down their gear to fight, or camps, he will sneak up and try
4 SPD 13 Phases: 4, 8, 12 to steal what he can. He will only take smaller things he can
5 REC 2 access without making much noise or disturbing anyone.
22 END 0 Sneaksie especially likes to rob guards, and will always try
20 STN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 17 to take something from the character that is supposed to be
on watch if he possibly can.
Movement: Running: 7/14”
Leaping: 3/6” Anything that Sneaksie steals will be hidden away in area 36
as that is his primary stash. If captured, Sneaksie can easily
Cost Powers END be persuaded to give up treasure he’s found, even act as a
2 Swift: Running +1” 1 guide in the complex. He is confident he can steal back any-
14 Swift: Instant noncombat running - thing the characters take from him, as long as he’s alive.
5 Night Vision: IR Vision - Sneaksie’s ability to slip ropes and escape capture will allow
5 Hardy: Power Defense 5 - him to get away very easily if tied up or captured.
2 Keen Nose: Enhanced Perception +1 (smell) -
8 Small: Shrinking (1 level) +3” KB, -2 PER to 0 In particular the GM should note that the vault sequence has
be seen; 0 END, Persistent, Inherent, Always him stumped and once the PCs seem to be on to how to open
On (*) the thing, Sneaksie will not bother them until they get the
vault open.
Pts Skills and Talents
2 Familiarity: Goblin weapons Campaign Use: Sneaksie is an alternate threat to the mon-
3 Survival 11- ster that kills: he is the monster that robs. If the GM is un-
7 Stealth 14- happy with the amount of loot the party has recovered or is
5 Concealment 12- carrying, or needs a lesson in caution and security, Sneaksie
3 Climbing 12- is a very useful device.
3 Contortionist 12-
5 Lockpicking 13- Appearance: Even smaller and skinnier than ordinary gob-
2 Language: Morianic (fluent conversation) lins, Sneaksie is a brighter green color than the Gashfang
tribe. His and nose ears are pointy, his eyes bulge, and his
Total Powers & Skills Cost: 66 fingers and toes are long and clever like any goblin, but he
Total Cost: 83 wears soft, dark clothes, including a hood that he can pull
over his head to help hide.
PTS Disadvantages
-15 Psych Lim: Loves a challenge C/S Equipment: Snake Pendant (armor shown in stats)
Lockpicks
Total Disadvantage Points: -15 4D6 copper
D6 pieces of jewelry worth 4D6 copper each
Ecology: Sneaksie is a clever thief and survives by his wits 2 daggers
and stealth. He is a fairly capable fighter, but is even 4 throwing knives
weaker than goblins and had to make a life on his own. He Pouch of ground pepper (4 charges of no range 2D6 flash
is part of no tribe and serves no master, but tends to follow sight, 14- activate)
other goblins around and robs them, then trades with still
other groups for better gear and food.

Personality/Motivation: Sneaksie is a coward and a sneak.

He prefers to avoid combat and will usually surrender if
threatened in a way he cannot elude. He loves to steal, par-
ticularly from bigger people, and loves a challenge.

30
UNDEAD BRAWN LOBSTER Giant Animal Ecology: This Brawn Lobster was a creature killed by Ro-
Val Char Cost Roll Notes gahn while fishing in the ocean. He towed the body to shore
25* STR 5 14- Lift 800kg: 5D6 and was going to use it for chitin armor, then Zelligar
14 DEX 12 12- OCV: 5 DCV: 4* thought of a better use for the remains. Now it is the final
0 CON - - guard of the Quasqueton Vault.
15* BOD 6 12-
3 INT -7 10- PER Roll: 10- Personality/Motivation: Never intelligent when alive, now
0 EGO - - EGO Roll: -- ECV: n/a the lobster is a zombie and has no mind and only is moti-
20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4D6 vated by simple commands: defend yourself, stand guard,
2 COM -4 9- kill anyone who tries to take the keys, do not leave
Quasqueton.
8 PD 21 Total: 14 (6 rPD)
5 ED 15 Total: 9 (4 rED) Powers/Tactics: The thick chitinous shell of the undead
3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12 lobster no longer is as tough as it once was, but it still is
6 REC 0 very protective. Although the lobster is not as aware of its
34 END 17 surroundings as it once was, it is much harder to stop as it
0* STN - Total Characteristics Cost: 91 feels no pain, never tires, and does not need to breathe or
eat. The powerful claws of the lobster have not lost any of
Movement: Running: 5”/10” their former strength, either.
Leaping: 0”
Swimming: 4”/8” Campaign Use: This is the final guard of the Quasqueton
Vault, holding the two keys needed to open the vault. When
Cost Powers END the heroes were present in the complex, they had one key
8 Undead: Elemental Control (8 pts) - each on their person and the lobster was just programmed to
7a Undead: No Hit Locations - kill anyone who didn’t have a key.
37b Undead: Life Support (full) -
37c Undead: Cannot be knocked out (loses powers) - Appearance: The Undead Brawn Lobster is a dark greyish
7d Undead: Does Not Bleed - green mottled color with brown spots and appears to be a ten
foot log lobster. However, closer examination reveals that
15 Giant: Growth (2 levels) -2” KB, +1 PER to be 0 the creature is clearly dead.
seen; Inherent, Persistent, 0 END Cost,
Always On (*)
45 Chitin: Armor 6 PD, 4 ED -
7 Claws: Strength +10; Only for grab maneuvers 1
15 Claws: HKA 1D6 (2D6 w/STR) 1
5 Many Legs: Extra Limbs (10 legs) -
5 Sense Life: IR vision -

-2 Running -1”
-3 Leaping -3”

Total Powers & Skills Cost: 183

Total Cost: 274

PTS Disadvantages
-20 Physical Limitation: Instinctive Intelligence
-10 Physical Limitation: Limited Fine Manipulatory
Ability
-5 Susceptible: 1D6/turn out of water
-10 Vulnerability: x1 1/2 Body from fire attacks
-10 Vulnerability: x1 1/2 Stun from fire attacks

Total Disadvantage Points: -55

31
SQD@RTQDRÅNEÅSGHRÅÅ
QD@RTQDRÅNEÅSGHRÅÅ MAGE CHARM: This is a brooch that is in the shape
@CUDMSTQDÅ
@CUDMSTQDÅ of a set of concentric rings with a star over the top.
Made of silver, this Mage Charm reduces concentra-
Any special treasure listed in the encounter areas will tion requirements of spells by 1/4 limitation. Thus
be written in italics and detailed here. A section after a 1/2 DCV concentrate is eliminated, or a 0 DCV
this has stats of unusual weapons and armor that may concentrate is reduced to 1/2 DCV while the charm
be encountered in In Search of the Unknown. is worn. This charm will sell for 35 silver.

BROKEN ARROW RING: This magical charm is a POTION OF HEALTH: This potion tastes like pure
brass ring with the design of a broken arrow on one clean spring water and has a slightly bluish tint, but
side. Once per day, with an Ego roll at a -1 penalty, it smells like daisies. When drank, the potion heals
the ring will cause all PD and resistant PD on the 3D6 stun and END (count the roll as a normal attack
wearer to become hardened versus any missiles for the “stun” on the dice heals stun; the “body” on the
one turn. The ring will sell for 8 silver. dice heals END at 4 END per body rolled). It takes
a half phase to drink. Sells for 75 copper.
CLOAK OF FENEN: This elegant silken cloak is green
with a silver repeating geometric pattern around the PRE-ENCHANTED WANDS: Each of these wooden
edge. The cloak is enchanted to grant anyone who tapers is created to be made into magical wands.
wears it +2 PD, ED armor on locations 9-16 for Any mage can enchant one of the wands with a suc-
their back only. The cloak will sell for 25 silver. cessful Magic Research skill roll and casting the spell
they want to be in the wand. The mage must ex-
DAGGER OF ACCURACY: A dwarven steel dagger pend as much personal mana as they wish to be
of plain design, this weapon is enchanted to be +1 stored in the wand, which becomes the set pool of
OCV. mana which it draws on to cast the spell it is en-
chanted with. The mana used to cast the spell is in-
ESKAND POISON: This green liquid is slightly thick cluded in this pool.
and tacky like glue. It clings to weapons well and if
it is introduced into a wound, the victim must make For example, Mhyrynn casts Fire Bolt on a wand,
a successful CON roll or suffer a D6 drain to DEX and puts the remainder of his own mana and his
and STR that recovers once a day. There are 3 doses Magestaff spell’s mana into the wand (totaling 50).
of the venom in the bottle found, and when used to Each time the wand is used to cast Magebolt, it uses
coat a weapon, each dose lasts either 1 hour or D6 2 of the stored mana.
successful hits with the envenomed weapon, which-
ever comes first. Each dose of the venom sells for 7 Once the mana in the wand is expended casting the
silver. spell stored in it, the magic is used up and the wand
is no longer enchanted. Using one of these en-
GREATSHANKS’ AXE: This blood iron battleaxe is chanted wands requires a magic skill roll at the same
enchanted with a Wintery proc: on each successful penalty as the original spell. Each pre-enchanted
hit (regardless of whether it does damage or not) wand will sell for 10 silver, or if enchanted sells for
there is an 11- chance that the weapon will do a 4D6 1 silver per real point of the spell put into the wand.
energy based cold normal attack to the victim.
RING OF WARDING: This plain silver ring has a strip
HEALING POTION: This peach colored potion tastes of brass set around the middle of the band so it looks
like metal and sugar, but when drank heals 4D6 like three strips of metal make up the ring. While
damage as if it is a normal attack. There is only one worn, the ring grants +1 DCV and 1 PD, 1 ED ar-
dose per bottle. Each potion sells for 7 silver. mor. The ring sells for 15 silver.

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ROBE OF PROTECTION: This is a black, red, and Each scroll casts a single spell unless otherwise noted
white robe of impressive design made of fenen and in the book, and each spell may only be cast once.
linen woven together in layers. It is a bit dirty and
abused from its storage in a web coccoon for years, SNAKE PENDANT: This pendant is a copper serpent
but still has its enchantment and can be cleaned up. coiled and hung on a leather thong. It is enchanted
Anyone wearing the robe gains 2 PD, ED armor and to grant the wearer 1 PD, 1 ED armor, but this ar-
+1 DCV. This magic does not add to any other mor will not add to any normal or magical protec-
magical or mundane armor worn. The robe will sell tion of the same type.
for 25 silver
TARGETING HEAVY MACE: This two handed mace
ROGAHN’S CROWN: This is little more than a well- is made up of pitted, slightly red blood iron, which
crafted plate helm that has a crown-like top which still somehow looks well crafted and solid. The mace
looks very impressive when worn. Anyone wearing is enchanted to grant +3 OCV to any “called shot”
the crown gains +3 presence. Rogahn’s crown cov- or attack that targets a location on the enemy.
ers locations 3-4.
WAND OF DAZZLE: This slim wand is a foot long
SCROLLS: All scrolls found in this adventure are the and made entirely of one piece of solid ivory, carved
same basic sort, each one parchment or vellum and so delicately it almost looks like it is made of a tube
scribed with special inks in Arcanium. They must be of lace. The wand has 20 Mana left in it, and can
read out loud by the person using them, taking a full cast Dazzle (a 2D6 sight flash) for 1 of the mana and
phase of no other action at 1/2 DCV. The spell then an invocation or magic skill roll at -1.
takes effect immediately as the reader commands,
using no mana for the initial casting, but any spell
cast from a scroll that persists must be paid for by

ARMOR
Amr CP
ARMOR rPD rED PD ED KG WT BOD
DEF VALUE
Rogahn’s Helm 8 6 8 6 1.67 8 4 22
Star Iron and Urgash Scale
7 6 7 6 14.6 9 14 196
Mail

SHIELDS
KG STR CP
SHEILD CV DEF BOD SIZE NOTES
WT MIN VALUE
Goblin Leather and
+1 3 2 6 1.5 4 15
Shield wood

WEAPONS
RNG STN STR KG CP
WEAPON OCV DAM DEF BOD
MOD MOD MIN WT VALUE
Dagger of Accuracy +1 -- D6-1 -- 5 6 3 .85 150
Greatshanks’ Axe -- -- 1½D6* -- 9/11 7 5 2.02 800
Stone Dagger +1 -- D6-1 -- 5 5 2 1.0 25
Stone Spear -- (1”) D6+1 -- 10 5 6 1.5 50
Targeting Heavy Mace (+3) -- 1½D6* +1 11 7 5 2.47 400
*Weapon gains +1 damage class damage for a turn when it draws blood (deals body damage past armor).

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FQNTMCÅKDUDKÅ
FQNTMCÅKDUDKÅ

34
 KNVDQÅKDUDKÅ
KNVDQÅKDUDKÅ

35
G@MCNTSÅNMD

36
G@MCNTSÅSVNÅ
G@MCNTSÅSVNÅ

G@MCNTSÅSGQDDÅ
@MCNTSÅSGQDDÅ
The vault continues to be an engineering challenge but I believe I have it finished. The time
limiter on the vault
vault access door on the upper level was easy enough to build but the sequence
between the key being turned and the door opening required
required significant rebuilding.

So far, the sequence is working well although the mechanism in step two sticks, something
to do with
with limiting it to two levers at a time. Perhaps a larger gear wheel might make it
smoother.
The first step bothers me, it seems so obvious: a tilting book?. It works smoothly but I’m con-
con-
cerned the security is not great.
I am not sure the garden device will hold up over time, its so wet in there all the time. I used
used
the best materials I could but the need to make the metal lever look rusted and old meant I
couldn’t use anything non corrosive.
corrosive.
Rogahn’s bed, the rotator gears work smoothly at least. I still think the chances of it being
moved are too great for the location.
I am certain that key will survive long submersion in the acid, but the key hole might bbe- e-
come gummed up with a sludge piled over it, maybe something else would work better.
All that’s really needed at this point is some kind of guardian in the vault its self. Some-
Some-
thing that won’t need food, water, even air or companionship. Zelligar can probably provide
that.

-Marevek

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G@MCNTSÅENTQÅ
G@MCNTSÅENTQÅ

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